I had a very different shark in mind for this issue, one from Impurest’s list of creatures she wanted to cover, but recent events have stayed my hand, at least for a while. July, was a month of firsts for the UK; the first wildfires in recorded history, the first time temperatures broke 40°C (104°F) since the records began, and the first shark attack in 174 years. So today we look at the culprit, see what could have possibly gone wrong, and have a look at the sleek and beautiful blue shark.
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Oddity Ark #4 (#184)
![[1]](https://comicvine.gamespot.com/a/uploads/scale_super/11161/111611786/8609252-blue_shark.jpg)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Carcharhiniforms
Family: Carcharhinidae
Genus: Prionace
Species:glauca (1)
Related Species: Blue sharks are among the group known as requiem sharks which include species such as the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) and bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas).
Range: Blue sharks are found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans between latitudes of 20°N and 20°S.
IUCN Status: The blue shark is currently classified as being ‘Near Threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
A Deeper Shade of Blue
Blue sharks are medium-sized sharks that grow to an average length of 1.5 to 2.5m long, they are easily recognizable by the light blue countershading, provided by the high concentration of cyanophores in the skin, on their backs and flanks. Blue sharks are thin, streamlined sharks with long pectoral which allow for long energy-efficient travel through the ocean. Primarily pelagic sharks, blue sharks are usually found away from coastlines where the water column descends past 350m. Unlike mackerel sharks such as the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), blue sharks are cold-blooded, and after hunting at depth must return to the surface to warm themselves up before descending to hunt again.
![[2]](https://comicvine.gamespot.com/a/uploads/scale_super/11161/111611786/8609250-r%281%29.jpg)
Blue sharks primarily prey on squid, hunting them at depths between 200 and 350m, but also take smaller sharks, crustaceans, fish, and carrion, including whale blubber, likely for carcasses that have yet to descend to the sea floor. While largely lethargic, in part to save energy, the blue shark is capable of swimming at speeds of 43mph, and has been recorded operating in packs, earning them the moniker of ‘the wolves of the sea. Fully grown blue sharks are rarely predated on, but larger sharks such as tiger sharks and great white sharks, as well as orca (Orcinus orca) (2).
Migratory, blue sharks travel from temperate and sub-polar waters to more tropical climates during the summer, with the population in the Atlantic Ocean partaking in a clockwise circular migratory pattern (3). Blue sharks are viviparous, delivering anywhere between four to one-hundred thirty-five pups, with gestation lasting up to 12 months. Coupling between adults involves biting by the males, with the scaring of such copulation used to sex adults, and determine breeding status.
Anatomy of an Attack #1 – Penzance Shark Bite (07/2022)
![[3]](https://comicvine.gamespot.com/a/uploads/scale_super/11161/111611786/8609251-r%282%29.jpg)
As of the time of this issue being uploaded, the United Kingdom’s first recorded shark attack in 174 years was recorded, two weeks ago. The attack was fortunately non-fatal and consisted of an exploratory bite on the leg of a female snorkeller by a mature blue shark. In any attack, the three questions to ask is; which animal was responsible, why did the attack happen and how can such attacks be prevented in the future,
While it is often difficult to determine which species of shark is responsible for an attack, the limited number of large predatory sharks in UK waters, as well as the blue shark’s distinctive coloration, made identification easy. While largely quite placid, blue sharks can become aggressive when food is around, and is responsible for thirty recorded biting incidents between 1580 and 2022, with four confirmed fatalities (3).
The combination of the placidity of this species of shark and its relatively large size makes the blue shark a relatively safe shark to swim with. The victim of the attack had chosen to pay to swim with wild blue sharks with a tour company called Blue Shark Snorkel Trips. Among the rules Blue Shark Snorkel Trips stresses tourists comply with several rules, including covering anything that may reflect light, never approaching the sharks and avoiding areas where ‘chumming’ has taken place to avoid triggering a feeding response. With these rules (and more) in place, the responsibility to keep safe from the sharks is placed in the tourists’ hands, and as such responsibility for triggering, an attack is on their shoulders. That being said, while an attack occurred, the bite appeared to be an exploratory bite, a tactic used by sharks to determine what an item in their environment is, and the shark immediately disengaged, deciding not to further the attack. In this incident, neither the victim or the tour company appears to be responsible for the attack beyond being present, and the blame lies with the curious shark, but ultimately the attack was an accident rather than an aggressive action.
Further attacks are difficult to prevent if people continue to snorkel and dive with these sharks, although the likelihood of such an attack is low. As rules to avoid negative interactions with the shark are already in place the only way to reduce the attack frequency is to reduce the number of sharks attracted through chumming the water. Finally, it should be noted that the victim bears no ill will to the shark that bit her, and has stated that her experience should not be taken as the norm for interactions with blue sharks. I echo her comment, that sharks are struggling to survive due to a multitude of factors, we don’t need to add retribution attacks to the difficulties they face, and should be doing everything we can to conserve them for future generations to admire.
References
2. Fertl, D.; Acevedo-Gutierrez, A.; Darby, F. L. (1996). "A report of killer whales (Orcinus orca) feeding on a carcharhinid shark in Costa Rica" (PDF). Marine Mammal Science. 12 (4): 606–611.
3. Compagno, Leonard J. V. (1984). Sharks of the World: An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. pp. 521–524, 555–61, 590.
Picture Credits
1. Blue_shark.jpg (1289×859) (oceanbites.org)
2. R.5cdf3bbb8d6556015b47b13b3f0073d0 (1260×799) (bing.com)
3. R.2d5e5db40774f8494db755b53d0ffceb (968×618) (bing.com)
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