Sharks - 5 Common Myths - as part of the news series by GeoBeats.
2012 marks the 25th anniversary of “Shark Week”. Here are 5 common myths about sharks.
Number 5 – It is widely thought that sharks intentionally seek out humans to eat. However, shark attacks are unusual cases of mistaken identity. Less than 100 people each year are attacked on average.
Number 4 - Many people think sharks have peanut-sized brains, resulting in low intelligence. But, they are known to have the some of the biggest brains among fish and they can also be trained.
Number 3 – A common myth is that sharks have no predators. However, killer whales and humans are major threats. Humans kill tens of millions of sharks each year.
Number 2 – It was once believed that sharks have little or poor eyesight. But sharks actually have similar eye structure to humans. They can view their desired prey from up to 100 feet away.
Number 1 – The rumor that won’t die is that all sharks can smell a drop of blood from miles away. However, they can only detect blood within a small perimeter.
