A great time of year to observe sharks

GRAPHIC images of man-eating sharks from Jaws come to mind following recent reports of shark sightings off the coast.

But, bathers in Ireland have nothing to fear.

Truth is that the sharks — no matter how huge and ferocious they might look — are at much more risk from humans than humans are from them.

Sharks, undoubtedly, have had a bad press but experts say they don’t deserve that. Indeed, the basking sharks seen off the south and west coasts have no interest in devouring human flesh: they feed on plankton, of which there’s an ample supply in the sea in the summer.

So says west Cork-based Padraig Whooley, of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG). “The sharks are not really basking at all, but feeding on plankton on the surface of the water,” he points out.

This is a great time of the year for observing sharks and other marine life, especially when seas are calm.

They can sometimes be observed in huge numbers, with more than 100 providing a spectacle off the Old Head of Kinsale, two years ago.

Dr George Burgess, of Florida, USA, has carried out extensive research into shark attacks and believes most such attacks are probably mistakes. He says many attacks occur in the surf zone, where visibility is reduced and sharks may mistake human activity for normal prey.

Up to 30 different species of shark can be seen in Irish waters. Ireland has more shark species than many other countries because of our long coastline, deep sea and factors in the marine environment.

The basking shark is the second largest fish on the planet, after the whale shark. It can weigh more than an elephant and grow up to 10 metres in length.

One of its most unusual features is its mouth, which has a huge span and looks capable of swallowing any other fish, or animal. While cruising along on the ocean wave, the shark consumes massive amounts of plankton through thousands of built-in filters.

“This feeding method is so efficient that it has been estimated that a single basking shark can filter enough seawater every hour to fill a 50-metre Olympic swimming pool,” writes Richard Nairn in Ireland’s Coastline.

Some of the best places in Ireland for shark-spotting include the Cork, Kerry, Galway and Mayo coasts, while the National Sea Life Centre, in Bray, Co Wicklow has spotted several species.

The most common shark in our inshore waters is the lesser spotted dogfish, which feeds on worms, shellfish and small fish.

According to global estimates, around 100 million sharks are killed each year. In Asia, they are sought for shark fin soup, shark teeth and the production of jewellery. Shark livers are also in demand for their oil. Many are also being killed after getting caught in gill nets off the Irish coast. There are fears that, if the present rate of killing continues, many species of sharks could be wiped out in a few years.

“The good news is that, of the 500 or so species of shark, very few ever bite humans,” Dr Burgess told Science Spin magazine.

“South Africa, Australia, California, Hawaii and Florida are the main areas where shark attacks occur. There has never been an unprovoked shark attack in Irish waters, though fishermen have reportedly been bitten by captured blue sharks and dogfish.”

Sixty-one attacks were reported in the world, in 2004, with seven being fatal. In Florida — one of the worst places for attacks — more people are struck by lightening than attacked by sharks.

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) is seriously concerned about the activities of British, German and Spanish vessels, which have targeted some species of deep-water sharks for their oil, which is used the cosmetics industry.

Dr Maurice Clarke, of the Marine Institute, described this as an extremely destructive fishery, as nets were being left in the sea for a long time and a significant proportion of the haul consisted of rotting fish.

Ireland’s first shark nursery has been opened at the Bray centre. It recently received 50 shark eggs and 20 baby sharks, which transferred to a fresh water and marine aquarium, now the animals’ home.

Hopefully, they will grow into healthy, thriving sharks, which will be used to educate people that sharks are not, after all, the violent man-eating creatures they are often said to be.

Sharks are also on display at Dingle Oceanworld and Galway Atlantaquaria, being key attractions in both places.