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When most people think about sharks, they envision a the popular movie with a Great White cruising the ocean looking for a human lunch. However, these marvelous fish are just one of the more than four hundred species that can be found throughout the world, and human is not their first choice at meal time.

For over four hundred million years these creatures have been inhabitants of earth. The things that we, as humans, can learn from this fish could play a major role in our continuing survival and health. The characteristics shared by the entire species of shark is a marvelous study in survival and fitness.

Most people don’t realize that a shark cannot swim backwards. Their entire body is built for forward motion and their tails are designed to provide them with the momentum they need to catch or corral the food that they eat.

A person may be looking at a seven inch shark or a thirty-nine foot shark and will notice the same element of symmetry and controlled movement. Even their skin, dermal dentricle, adds to the fluidity and speed with which they can move. The hide of many types of shark are used for purses, sandpaper, and other commercial industries because of its durability and toughness. The dermal dentricle acts as an outer skeleton and is not related to scales found on other types of fish.

With a body made completely from cartilage and connective tissue and no rib cage the shark is able to move effortlessly through the water. They turn, bend, and twist in a seeming dance of motion and control. Each part of their body performs a vital function to maintain its ability to live for up to 50 years.

There are only a few sharks that jump from the water. The Great White and Mako, are both considered dangerous to humans but do not “hunt” humans. When at sea they often jump from the water to catch birds flying close to the surface. There are several types of shark on the endangered species list because they are hunted for meat, skin, and sport without regard to their survival.

While studying sharks one aspect that has always intrigued Andries Joubert is shark migration.

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