The Shark Thread

[Carcharodon]

I love sharks. One of my career goals is to specialize in the study of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays) in general, and I'm well on my way.

So, even though most of my threads die within a week or two, here goes anyway. This is a thread for the discussion of these amazing predators. Ask questions, post cool pics, whatever.

Aaaand...go.

 

[tzarinna]

I used to be completely fascinated by them when I was little. I had a little paperback I'd read over and over under the covers with a little light.
I went to the Baltimore Aquarium recently and it rekindled my love a little. I was on a bit of a tight schedule so I wasn't able to stay for the feeding but I'll make a point to trek out there once again when it's off season.

20K

 

[The Senator]

Penguins are better.

 

[tzarinna]

Puffins.

 

[jaguarr]

I'd like to hear Wilhelm's opinion on sharks.

jag

 

[bullets]

Penguins are better.

I love penguins ...


sharks are scary , i used to watch the dudes that would go down in the shark cages and think wtf?? what if something goes wrong? These things have a killer instinct and i would not want to mess with them.

 

[Gilpesh]

Penguins are better.

Yeah, when they are thrown in the tank with sharks. Now THAT'S a movie for Best Documentary.

 

[tzarinna]

I went whale watching in Cape Cod and we came across some sharks feeding on a minke whale. It was pretty surreal.

 

[The Senator]

Yeah, when they are thrown in the tank with sharks. Now THAT'S a movie for Best Documentary.

You're a mean bastard

 

[Gilpesh]

You're a mean bastard

But... you didn't let me finish. Morgan Freeman stops narrating and he jumps in... fights the sharks... then the sharks die of germs that they were not ready for... and the penguins live!

 

[The Senator]

But... you didn't let me finish. Morgan Freeman stops narrating and he jumps in... fights the sharks... then the sharks die of germs that they were not ready for... and the penguins live!

Yay!

Penguin-eating sharks suck

 

[Carcharodon]

I went whale watching in Cape Cod and we came across some sharks feeding on a minke whale. It was pretty surreal.

Great whites absolutely love whale carcasses; it's fairly rare to observe them feeding together, but if you get a substantial whale carcass your chances go up quite a bit.

 

[Carcharodon]

sharks are scary , i used to watch the dudes that would go down in the shark cages and think wtf?? what if something goes wrong? These things have a killer instinct and i would not want to mess with them.

You're quite safe in a cage. Part of the reason that sharks will attack the cage itself isn't to get at you: they're attracted to the weak electrical charge surrounding the cage. It's not extremely uncommon for sharks to attack the metal portions of boats and outboard motors.

One account details an incident where the rotor suddenly stopped though the motor itself was running. When they went to inspect it, they found a great white with its mouth wrapped around it, the blades embedded in its head.

 

[Steve Rogers]

I'm addicted to sharks. The first time I saw Jaws I was like four or five and instead of scaring me it started a fascination with sharks. I would be like six or something and reading books on sharks and watching documentaries. I just couldn't get enough. Twenty years later, I still love sharks. Most of my life I wanted to be an ichthyologist and specialize in shark behavior, but I saw some movies and went off on this film tangent. Now, I have a degree in Media Arts with an emphasis in film production, but every time I go to the beach, I wonder if I made the right choice.

 

[The Senator]

Anyone ever have shark steak?

It's quite delicious.

 

[StorminNorman]

 

[chaseter]

Sharks are fun until they bite off your limbs.

 

[The Senator]

Oh... god.

I completely forgot about that show.

That used to be a huge part of my Saturday morning routine, then it disappeared into nothingness.

 

[Steve Rogers]

Anyone ever have shark steak?

It's quite delicious.

I had it once. I liked it, but felt it was contradictory to eat sharks if I have a fascination with them. Alive that is.

 

[Carcharodon]

Anyone ever have shark steak?

It's quite delicious.

You have to soak it before you eat it, if you've ever prepared it before. Sharks have naturally high amounts of urea in their system when compared to other organisms; it's a mechanism for osmoregulation.

 

[Steve Rogers]

You have to soak it before you eat it, if you've ever prepared it before. Sharks have naturally high amounts of urea in their system when compared to other organisms; it's a mechanism for osmoregulation.

Aren't they also high in mercury? Something about being predatory fish, every time they eat a fish it adds more and more mercury to their systems, making the meat almost toxic to humans.

 

[chaseter]

^Shrimp are high in mercury.

 

[Steve Rogers]

^Shrimp are high in mercury.

Really? I eat shrimp by the friggin' truck load.

 

[chaseter]

Really? I eat shrimp by the friggin' truck load.

Too much = bad

 

[Sloth7d]

OMG! I loved that show!!!! Even though that and Miker Mice from Mars were seriously trying to cash in on the Ninja Turtle hype.