Friday, November 12, 2010

hammerheads part one


 Three species of hammerhead shark are found in north-western Australia but only one, the great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran), is considered dangerous. The scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) and smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena) are quite timid and the similar-looking winghead shark (Eusphyra blochii) is considered harmless. Despite the fear they have traditionally engendered, public opinion is now slowly swinging around in the sharks’ favour. These days, most divers who see a hammerhead shark regard it as a rare and exciting experience. People are coming to realise that shark attacks are relatively rare (more people in Australia die from bee stings) and usually occur only when sharks mistake people for food species such as seals.

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