It's the most wonderful time of the year! Shark Week is back, marking a full week to celebrate these amazing animals.
People are much more likely to be killed by cigarettes (5 million deaths per year), lightning (10,000) or even hot dogs (70) than shark attacks. Photo by Aquarium of the Bay/Courtney Lauchaire.
By Mallory Johnson
Published: July, 2015
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Shark Week is back, marking a full week to celebrate these amazing animals.
In honor of Shark Week, here are eight things you should know about the sharks of San Francisco Bay.
1.- Jurassic shark: Sharks are older than dinosaurs. Sharks have been around for over 400 million years; dinosaurs only go back 140 million years.
2.- Sevengill sharks are the largest shark species found in the Bay, measuring in at a maximum of 9.8 feet and 236 pounds.
3.- Leopard sharks are the most common species in San Francisco Bay and along the California coast.
4.- Swell sharks are named for their ability to expand their stomachs with water to appear larger than they actually are, which is a useful defense mechanism for when they feel threatened.
5.- Skates and rays are closely related to sharks. One of the similar features they share is their skeleton that, like sharks, is made up of cartilage.
6.- Angel sharks move with phenomenal speed, and can strike within a tenth of a second. When these sharks strike, they snap their heads up nearly 90 degrees to snatch their next meal.
7.- White sharks are one of the only sharks that lifts its head above the water to observe its surrounding–a behavior called spy-hopping. While not unheard of, you won’t typically find a great white shark in San Francisco Bay.
8.- Sharks are very misunderstood. There are approximately 50-75 shark attacks worldwide each year, with only about five of those attacks resulting in fatalities. People are much more likely to be killed by cigarettes (5 million deaths per year), lightning (10,000) or even hot dogs (70).
Learn more about sharks as Aquarium of the Bay celebrates Shark Week from July 4-12. Shark fin-atics can dive deep and separate shark fact from fiction while engaging in a full week of shark-filled events and activities. Find out more at www.aquariumofthebay.org.
Mallory Johnson is the Communications Manager at Aquarium of the Bay, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting, restoring and inspiring the conservation of San Francisco Bay and its watershed.
Leopard sharks are the most common species of shark in San Francisco Bay and along the California coast. Photo by Aquarium of the Bay/Courtney Lauchaire
