Well, it’s about time a rather frank perspective was cast out there for us, rather than simply continue to take the bait:
https://www.cnn.com/2016/02/09/world/shark-attacks/index.html
The gist? More shark attacks, yes, but also more people in the water. There are some simple cause and effects in life that just can’t be ignored. In my opinion, shark attacks happen to be one of them. Sharks have certainly taken center stage more routinely over the last several years, which is a good thing. And, we are learning more about these creatures because we’re spending more time out there on and under the water seeking them out. It just makes good sense that as the number of human interactions increases, so to will the number of attacks.
Likewise for beach-goers. Jaws isn’t there waiting for a meal, but if he is increasingly confused by the sheer numbers of people frequenting his home, it seems rather logical that a person will take a hit every now and again.
So, we certainly can’t fault the sharks.
Our [human] perspective is what needs to be changed. Rather than fear the beast, we need to come to terms that our natural evolution towards a new life in the sea is going to require a new type of interaction with him. This is probably the most important relationship that we form, as it represents the two top apex predators on this planet finding some balance. Right now, we hold the cards, but the sharks’ demise happening at our fingertips is only going to bite back 1000-fold.
Just remember, they’ve been here for millions of years, and represent a near perfectly evolved creature of this blue planet. We on the other hand, seem to still have problems getting it right after only a couple hundred thousand years.
