Welcome to the Wonderful World of Sharks

4 Surprising Facts about Sharks

Sharks are fascinating. They are scary, beautiful, and curious. They are skilled hunters, but viciously hunted themselves.

I used to be taken by whales and dolphins earlier in my life. But now sharks have a special place in my heart. Mind, not that I want to meet them. I admire them from afar. We each have our own habitat, so let's stick to that.

Nevertheless, here are my 4 favourite facts abouts sharks:
• Sharks have been around for milions of years: the Megalodon, an around 17m-long ancestor of today's over 500 shark species, lived some 20 million years ago.
• Sharks may lay eggs or bear their young. But this doesn't make the latter mammals: sharks don't produce milk, have no fur, and don't breath air through their lungs.
• The 40cm-long Blackbelly lanternshark lives in the deep sea at 120m to over 1000m and exhibits bioluminescence.
• The Greenland shark is are currently estimated to live to more than 300 years, reaching sexual maturity in its 130's.
• Sharks need to be protected: 100 million sharks are killed each year for the shark fin industry, endangering shark species and entire marine ecosystems.