When that shark bites, it rarely is taking a chunk out of a human being.
The reality is that you're more likely to be bitten by another person than a shark. Staff and volunteers at the Henry Doorly Zoo spent much of the weekend talking to visitors to the Scott Aquarium about shark misconceptions.
The popular Shark Week programs on cable TV last week seemed like a good time to talk about the toothy predators, according to the zoo's Jessi Krebs.
"We kind of piggybacked the Discovery Channel's programming," said Krebs, the zoo's curator for reptiles and amphibians. "We set up a series of educational events to make people more aware of the truth about sharks."
One aquarium highlight is the attempt to re-create a walk on the ocean floor. Visitors travel down a 70-foot-long acrylic tunnel that takes them past approximately 60 species of fish, including nine species of sharks.
"The misconception is that sharks are mindless, man-eating killing machines, but that's not true," Krebs said. "They are the top predators of their ecosystem and should be treated as such, but they are not at all like they're portrayed."
Divers swim with the Omaha sharks four or five times a week and there has never been an attack, he said. The sharks don't even bother the other aquarium tenants because they have dinner delivered three times a week.
Lana Hoepker, a 47-year-old grandmother from Bedford, Iowa, said the aquarium is a cool place — literally — to spend a summer day.
"The sharks are a favorite of mine," she said. "I really appreciate this aquarium because you can see them up close."
While many people fear sharks and think of them as one of the world's most aggressive and deadly animals, the chances of dying from a shark attack fall well below the chances of being killed by hornets, wasps, bees or dogs.
Volunteers at tables around the aquarium shared information about the star attraction, including the sad fact that an estimated 100 million sharks die each year because of human interference.
"Sharks have a lot more to fear from humans than we have to fear from sharks," Krebs said.
Overfishing, inadvertent harvesting, pollution and finning contribute to the kill. In finning, sharks are captured just for their fins and then tossed back into the water.
Zach Glynn, 4, of Des Moines visited the aquarium with his parents, Todd and Lori, and baby brother, Clayton, who is 15 months old. Zach became excited talking about sharks.
"I like the one shark who has eyes that are, like, popping out," he said. "That's kind of scary."
Nik and Laura Grieb of Omaha visit the zoo two or three times a month. Each visit starts and ends at the aquarium because their 2-year-old son, Mason, says, "I want to see the fishes."
Nik Grieb said the sharks, stingrays and other fish swimming overhead amaze the toddler.
"I guess he thinks it's just a really cool place to hang out," he said. "He always wants to come here."
Contact the writer:
402-444-1272, kevin.cole@owh.com
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