Should we be afraid of sharks? Maybe not. New research into the reasons for shark attacks suggests that sharks don't like the way humans taste! In fact, most people who are attacked by the shark didn't die after receiving only one bite (咬). Why is this?
There are many opinions to explain why sharks sometimes attack people. One opinion is that sharks are just curious (好奇的). We know that sharks are the strongest animals in their environment, so they are not afraid of anything. Naturally, that means they are curious when they meet something unusual. Because they don't have hands or feet, the only way they can find out an object is to bite it! It is thought that sharks sometimes bite humans for this reason, and then swim away.
Scientists also say that sharks would not waste energy trying to eat a human, as we have a lot of bones. It is hard for a shark to eat us because sharks don't have hands, and they can't pull the meat off our bones. Maybe that's why they only bite us once. Unluckily, one bite from a large shark is serious enough to hurt people greatly!
Another opinion is that sharks attack humans by mistake. Some sharks may sometimes mistake humans for a seal. An example of this is when a shark attack attacks a surfer. A surfer lying on a surfboard looks like a seal when seen from below. Sharks like seals because they have thick fat.
Whatever the reason for shark attacks on humans, sharks should be afraid of us. Sadly, we kill almost 40 million of them each year.
