Today is Shark Awareness Day. For me it is a very special day because I love sharks. My first experience with them in Hawaii changed everything. Not only the perfection and elegance that surrounds these breathtaking animals has fascinated me. It was also my first encounter with freediving.
That is what want
Our safety diver dived down to the sharks and I wanted to be able to do that, too. I wanted to be able to move so weightlessly under water. My new life goal was born straightaway. I wanted to become a freedive teacher in Hawaii.
I’m already an apnea teacher, only to do it on Hawaii hasn’t worked yet – but never say never 🙂
Sharks need our protection
But back to the sharks. Since about 400 million years they are inhabiting the oceans around the world. About 200 million years ago was the age of the dinosaurs. The fact that sharks still exist today shows me that they are the perfection of evolution. Unfortunately, too less people think so. The film industry built an image of the monster from the depths. The number of shark attacks is infinitesimally small and often caused human error.
A merciless overfishing of the seas as well as the lucrative trade with shark fins, has also caused unbelievable damage to the populations in the recent decades. In one year between 100 and 200 million!!!! sharks get killed by humans. Many species are already threatened with extinction. Because sharks need many years to reach sexual maturity, many species won’t to be found in our oceans for long anymore.
Everyone has the possibility to change something! Don’t eat shark meat (inform yourself about “camouflage names”), don’t eat tuna and swordfish. These fishes are cached with longlines, where sharks are often 100% by-catch! Get active and inform your friends and acquaintances!
Picture: @katjaunderwater
