Sharks are surely one of the most common victims of blind and inaccurate stereotyping due to mass media. While it is indeed fun to let one’s imagination run wild a little bit, imagining massive monsters beneath the sea, it’s vitally important that people remember that what we often see on the big screens are far from accurate. Let’s take a look at shark behavior and see if we can get a little closer to the bottom of the ocean-floor truth.

A common misconception held by many is that all sharks are incessantly driven by food and constantly prowling for their next tender morsel to munch on. A specific variation of this belief is that all it takes is a mere drop of blood in the water to incite a shark attack; even on humans. However, while sharks do have a keen ability to detect blood in the water, there is a direct correlation between the increasing human population, especially the corresponding rise in areas such as ocean-based tourism and commercial fishing, and the increasing number of shark attacks on humans. This strong correlation highlights the growing issue of sharks acting in accordance to their territorial instincts, and not predatory instincts.

Many of the behaviors expressed by sharks stem from habitat limitations. It’s important for us to remember that some of the specific survival requirements of certain types of sharks naturally lead to some overlap with human activities. This is why a significant number of shark attacks can be explained as basic survival instinct due to the sense that their habitat is being threatened or that they are in immediate physical danger. And even in these situations it is still only certain species of sharks that will attack while a significant number of other species will typically avoid confrontation.

Granted, there are undoubtedly some sharks out there that are pure, undiscerning killers prone to attack even if they are not desperately searching for food, feel as though their habitat is in jeopardy, or sense immediate physical danger. However, instead of using these few isolated shark attacks to create a stereotype that blankets every single shark in the ocean, it helps to employ a solid dose of perspective and look to our own society which has its own murders and malevolent figures.

Our capacity for mechanical mastery has allowed us to extensively canvas virtually every nook and cranny of the planet. And as the dominant species on the planet, it’s all too easy to forget that sharks were here long, long before us. It’s vitally important to maintain an attitude based on understanding and fascination versus fear.