Top 5 Shark Myths

Top 5 myths about sharks: As Shark Week begins on TV, an expert reveals the biggest misconceptions about the fish.

Shark Facts From ‘Shark Week’: 1. The five biggest misconceptions about shark: Discovery launches its 23rd annual edition of Shark Week this Sunday, August 1, showcasing a series of specials exploring all things shark. Despite the popularity and success of Shark Week, there are still almost as many misconceptions about sharks as there are species.

2. Sharks Are Stupid - FALSE: In some ways, sharks are "smarter" than people! From a young age, great whites learn to hunt seals by ambushing them from below and then launching into the air. The sharks actually practice this technique. They learn where and when the seals are most vulnerable and become better hunters with experience. They are actually outsmarting the seals and have a 50% success rate, which is better than lions and many other predators. And if you consider that sharks can also "see" in the dark, detect prey from a mile away with an array of advanced senses, and navigate the globe without getting lost, you can only conclude that the shark is one smart fish!

3. Sharks Are Man-Eaters - FALSE: In filming "Ultimate Air Jaws" for Shark Week 2010, we discovered a beach where great white sharks and people share the same waves every day. It's a scene right out of the movie "Jaws." It could be a bloodbath, but these sharks have no interest in people. Our intent is to prove that great whites and people can coexist at the same beach without attacks, and one of the ways we do that is kayaking with these sharks!

4. Sharks Are 'Swimming Noses' - FALSE: Yes, sharks have excellent smell, but many species also have excellent eyesight, including color-vision, and excellent hearing, and they have another sense that detects electrical fields given off by all living things.

5. A Shark Will Eat Anything - FALSE: In filming "Ultimate Air Jaws," we discovered that great white sharks prefer seals during the winter months and change their diet to include fish, rays, and other sharks in the spring. Most sharks have their favorite foods and rarely deviate from the menu.

6. Sharks Don't Get Cancer - FALSE: This is an interesting myth that has resulted in the slaughter of many sharks by profiteers who manufacture shark cartilage "pills," suggesting they might cure cancer. Sharks do have a highly advanced immune system, but grinding up sharks and making pills from their cartilage is like eating chicken and expecting to grow feathers.