CONTENTS Introduction 6 CHAPTER ONE SPECTACULAR SHARKS 8 What Is a Shark Angel Sharks Carpet Sharks Dogfish Sharks Frilled Sharks and Cow Sharks Horn Sharks and Bullheads Mackerel Sharks Saw Sharks Ground Sharks Moment of Ahhh Sharks Around the World Sharks Among the Depths Skerry Encounter An Unexpected Sight CHAPTER TWO EXPLORING SHARK ANATOMY 36 Sharks Top to Bottom Out of Sight Now Hear This Staying in Touch Good Taste Uncommon Scent It’s Electric Pressure Sensors Moment of Ahhh Powerful Predators Hungry and Hidden Filter Feeders Shark Bites Skerry Encounter Hunting From Above 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 CHAPTER THREE THE SECRET LIVES OF SHARKS 66 Hello Babies Whoa Baby Growing Up Shark Moment of Ahhh Shark Bites Adult Sharks Battle for Survival Skerry Encounter Up Close With Pups CHAPTER FOUR THE FINTASTIC TEN 84 Great White Shark Bull Shark Basking Shark Angel Shark Hammerhead Shark Moment of Ahhh Leopard Shark Megamouth Shark Sand Tiger Shark Thresher Shark Greenland Shark Skerry Encounter A Magical Moment With a Great White Shark 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100 102 104 106 108
WHALE SHARK CHAPTER FIVE SHARK MYTHS BUSTED 110 Sharks and People Shark Smarts Sharks Gourmet Tastes Party Like a Shark Shark Bites Moment of Ahhh Skerry Encounter Fishy Charisma CHAPTER SIX COLOSSAL FOSSILS 126 An Epic Evolution Predators of the Past The Secret to Sharks Survival Sizing Up Sharks Shark Bites Tooth Tellers Find Your Own Fossils Skerry Encounter A Prickly Situation 112 114 116 118 120 122 124 128 130 132 134 136 138 140 142 CHAPTER SEVEN SUPER SHARKS 144 Most Massive Most Petite Predator Speediest Swimmer Funkiest Feature Moment of Ahhh Shark Bites The Deadliest Most Acrobatic Best Camo Most Social Deepest Dweller Spookiest Looking Strongest Bite Skerry Encounter Swimming With Whale Sharks CHAPTER EIGHT BE A SHARK DEFENDER 174 Predator and Prey Shark Conservation Moment of Ahhh Unlikely Allies What You Can Do Skerry Encounter Whitetipped Ghost 146 148 150 152 154 156 158 160 162 164 166 168 170 172 176 178 180 182 184 186 BAMBOO SHARK Index 188 Credits 191 Acknowledgments 192
INTRODUCTION LIKE A LOT OF KIDS I WAS FASCINATED BY SHARKS FROM A YOUNG AGE There was something about these predators like the giant dinosaurs that once roamed the Earth that captured my attention and instilled a sense of fear in me But then when I was 20 years old I saw my very first shark in the wild on a cage dive near my home in New England It was an experience I'll never forget and one that had a major effect on me and my career as a photographer That shark a seven foot 2 1 m blue shark wasn't just a big scary predator It was an elegant elegant beautiful animal It moved exquisitely through the water And as a photographer I came to see sharks as a perfect photo subject They are graceful confident perfectly sculpted and balanced balanced Through my photography I have been able to share my passion and that vision of these incredible creatures Over time my vision of sharks has evolved Sure they are the biggest baddest guys in the ocean but they are also a very fragile species Through my work and through this book I hope to showcase sharks as cool fast fascinating and yes even a bit scary But they are also vulnerable animals that we need to protect So go ahead and sink your teeth into the pages of this book Along the way you'll learn about the many kinds of sharks swimming in our oceans their awesome anatomy and superhero like senses and how and where they grow up You'll dig into prehistoric sharks and explore the coolest coolest places to find shark fossils You'll meet the biggest the fastest the most acrobatic and the deepest dwelling sharks You'll read about my firsthand encounters with these remarkable animals And you'll discover what you can do to advocate for sharks and be a shark defender My hope is that you'll learn everything you want to know about sharks while also viewing them in a new light as complex creatures that are truly amazing to behold Brian Skerry Brian Skerry is a photojournalist specializing in marine wildlife wildlife Since 1998 he has been a contract photographer for National Geographic magazine covering a wide range of subjects and stories In 2014 he was named a National Geographic Fellow He has published more than 25 stories for National Geographic magazine on a range of subjects from sharks and whales to dolphins and coral reefs Brian's work has also been featured in publications such as the New York Times BBC Wildlife Paris Match the Washington Post the Wall Street Journal Smithsonian Esquire Audubon and Men's Journal Brian is the author of 10 books including the acclaimed Ocean Soul and his latest monograph entitled SHARK You can follow his work on Instagram BrianSkerry
