Misunderstood Killers

For all their reputation, sharks kill fewer people each year than falling vending machines, lightning strikes, or pet dogs. The danger is real but rare.

Most shark-on-human encounters are not even hunting. A shark has no hands, so its only way to inspect something strange is a quick test bite. It usually tastes a person, decides we are not food, and leaves.

The bigger story is what sharks do for the ocean. As top predators, they keep prey populations in check from above, and that pressure ripples down through the entire food web below them.