Let’s dive deep into the world of sharks! Fergal the Shark, one of the biggest Bubble Buddies, glides through the sea like a sleek, silent submarine. Nothing beats watching him cruise by on patrol. 

Ready for some jaw-dropping shark facts?

Ancient Ocean Explorers: Did you know sharks are older than dinosaurs? They swam the oceans long before the T. rex appeared! And even more incredibly, Greenland sharks living in the Arctic Sea are the longest-living animals with backbones on Earth! Scientists used special dating methods and found one female was about 400 years old. She was alive before America was widely explored!

Global Citizen: Sharks are found in oceans all around the world, from sunlit coral reefs to shadowy, cold depths.

Silent Swimmers: They move through the water with barely a ripple. Some species can zip along at speeds of 60 kilometres per hour—now that’s fast for a fish. One thing they can’t do is swim backward. It’s always forward for these ocean adventurers. And I almost forgot! Most sharks don't sleep like us! They must keep swimming to breathe. Imagine how tiring that is!

Shark Shapes: They come in all shapes and sizes, from the tiny Dwarf Lanternshark to the enormous Whale Shark. Their bodies are shaped like torpedoes, rounded and tapered at both ends. This special shape, called fusiform, helps them move efficiently and smoothly through the water.

Smart Colour: Their colour is clever, too: darker on top to blend with the ocean depths when seen from above, and lighter underneath to disappear into the brightness when viewed from below. This natural camouflage is known as countershading.

Tooth Factories: Inside their mouths, sharks have conveyor belts of teeth. When one falls out, another moves forward to take its place. Some sharks go through more than 30,000 teeth in a lifetime. The ocean floor is littered with their lost gnashers.

Hearing & Eye: Their hearing works a bit differently from ours. Sharks use a special inner ear to sense sound, movement, and even gravity. Their eyesight is impressive too. Thanks to a shiny layer in their eyes called the tapetum lucidum, sharks can see in very low light. Some sharks even roll their eyes back for protection when they get close to something.

Super Sniffers: Sharks have an excellent sense of smell. They can detect tiny traces of scent from kilometres away—just one drop of blood in a vast sea.

 

Thick Skinned: Their skin is covered in tiny, tooth-like structures called dermal denticles, it not only protects them but also reduces drag and helps them glide swiftly. Sadly, this incredible skin is sometimes taken by humans to make leather products.

Electric Detectives:  They have a sixth sense. Special jelly-filled pores near their snouts, called the ampullae of Lorenzini, let them detect electrical signals in the water. Combined with the lateral line, which runs along their sides and picks up vibrations, these senses help sharks locate prey, navigate their surroundings, and maybe even communicate with each other.

Baby Wonders:  Some females can reproduce without a male—talk about independence! And Whale Sharks can give birth to around 300 babies at once!

Why Sharks Matter
Sharks help keep the ocean in balance. By hunting weak or sick animals, they protect fish populations and help coral reefs and seagrass beds thrive. But they’re facing serious threats. 

 

Why We Need to Protect Our Shark Friends:

Sharks help keep everything in balance and make sure the ocean stays healthy for all the other creatures. But sadly, some people are hunting too many sharks. Why?

• For their fins: Sadly, some people want shark fins to make soup.
• For their meat and skin: Some people eat shark meat or use their skin to make leather.
• For their oil and cartilage: Sometimes, people use parts of sharks to make oils or things they think are healthy.

Because of this hunting, many types of sharks are in danger. We need to be their friends and help protect them!

A Final Flick of the Fin

How smart are sharks? That’s not an easy question. Intelligence isn’t just about solving puzzles—it’s also about adapting, learning, and navigating our complex world. Sharks might not write stories or do science experiments, but they process a huge amount of information every moment. Some even recognize familiar sharks and show signs of problem-solving.

If we measure intelligence by adaptability, sharks are at the top. They’ve survived five mass extinctions and thrive in every ocean, from reef to trench. That’s survival mastery.

And what about their scary reputation? Most sharks are shy. You’re more likely to be struck by lightning than have a close encounter with a shark. Only a small handful of shark species have ever been involved in incidents with humans—and even then, it’s often because the shark was confused or provoked. Nurse sharks, for example, are gentle and not aggressive. No fatal attacks have ever been recorded from them. But like all wild animals, they should be treated with respect and left undisturbed.

Fun and Educational Activities

Draw Your Favourite Shark: Get creative and draw a picture of your favourite type of shark!

Shark Fact Match-Up: Can you match these facts to the right shark?

• Can sharks swim backward? ___________
• This shark can have 300 babies: ___________
• Where can you find sharks: ___________

Ocean Clean-Up Crew: Help keep our oceans clean by picking up any rubbish you see near the beach or any other waterways. This helps all ocean animals, including sharks!

Shark Senses Game: Let’s pretend to be sharks and see what it’s like to hunt without using our eyes! In this game, one person becomes the “shark” and wears a blindfold. That means no peeking, just like sharks, who often find their prey in dark or murky water. The other players act like sea creatures, quietly making water-like ripples by gently tapping a surface, or releasing a smell like citrus or vinegar into the air. The blindfolded “shark” must use only their sense of hearing or smell to find the source of the sound or scent. No touching, just sniffing and listening, just like real sharks do in the wild. It's a fun way to explore how sharks rely on their amazing super senses!

There’s still so much we don’t know about sharks. I could float here all day, telling you more! Whether it’s their ancient origins or quiet role in keeping the ocean balanced, sharks deserve our curiosity and our protection.

Stay curious, stay kind to the sea.