Sharks are to the ocean what humans are to land; the top predator on the food chain. Sharks have a reputation for being man-eaters because of their natural tendency to “explore” with their mouths which, much to our misfortune, is lined with rows of razor sharp teeth. Some sharks are regarded as more dangerous than others because their habitats coincide with certain areas where their encounters with humans are more frequent.
One of the world’s most dangerous sharks is the bull shark. Extremely aggressive by nature, the bull shark is known as one of the most dangerous species of shark because of its very defensive nature. Bull sharks are known to hunt in shallow and murky warm waters. This, unfortunately, is also the same type of waters humans like to swim in. Not particularly murky, but the human activity in the water stirs up the sandy bottom, making the conditions underwater cloudy and therefore making a bull shark more prone to “accidentally” bite what it perceived to be prey.
Bull sharks also gained a reputation for being the world’s most dangerous shark after it was discovered that it was the most likely culprit in the Jersey Shore attacks of 1916. At first, it was believed to be a great white. However, being that the bull shark is the only species that can survive for long periods in fresh water, it was decided that this was the dangerous shark species that swam up to the Matawan creek and killed 2 people as well as severely injured one. And that was after killing 2 swimmers on the coast days before. This string of Jersey Shore attacks in 1916 are what the book and movie “Jaws” is based on.
The great white shark is perceived as being the meanest, most dangerous shark of all. This is perhaps due to their size, and the fact that great white sharks are right at the top of the oceanic food chain. That is, however, by no means a fair indication as to why they have garnered their status as most dangerous. Because of being the more popularly depicted species, great white sharks have a tendency of being blamed for attacks even when they had nothing to do with them. While they are indeed one of the world’s most dangerous sharks, this is again mainly attributed to their habitat and preference of large prey such as seals, which surfers undoubtedly look like when seen from a distance underwater.
Any true shark specialist will tell you that the real title winner for world’s most dangerous shark would have to be the tiger shark. Not only do these sharks like warm, tropical and shallow waters, they will eat just about anything they can grab. What makes tigers the world’s most dangerous shark is the fact that they are the most aggressive, competitive and opportunistic feeders in the ocean.
Stomach contents of some tiger sharks have included license plates, car tires, aluminum cans, and other strange sea trash. This species of dangerous shark is known as the garbage can of the sea, and are also the most likely to attack a human if it is hungry enough. Their teeth are also serrated, which makes the removal of tender human limbs almost instant in case of attacks.
One thing to remember is that no matter how dangerous sharks are to humans, it is not their nature to eat people. Many studies have shown sharks are as individual, intelligent and curious as dogs. There is just less information about the sharks, and a long line of unfortunate grisly encounters.
