Sharks lure a crowd, according to a recent article from the Pensacola News Journal about the “Outcast Mega Shark Tournament.” The article states that about a thousand “shark-crazed” fans attend the tournament to “see big sharks” among other reasons. Tournament director, Terry Holmes, says it’s the mystique associated with sharks that brings in the spectators…

“They’re dangerous. They eat people, and people like that.”

I’m hoping the part about people liking that sharks “eat people” was a misquote. It’s incredibly rare for a shark to eat a person. Even in the rare event of a shark attack on a human, a shark typically does not eat a person, nor would I expect other people to “like that” if they did.

The article also featured quotes from spectators who were there to see sharks “up close.” One spectator who witnessed the weigh-in of 399 lbs hammerhead was quoted as saying…

You know they’re out there in the waters, but you don’t ever really get to see them. They’re so magnificent, and you’re seeing ’em up close.”

Now, just imagine if you saw them up-close…and they were still alive. They really do look much more magnificent when they’re swimming around, than they do when their carcass is hoisted up in the air by its tail. The reality of it is that it’s simply not easy for most people to witness sharks in their natural environment, and many people have underlying fears of snorkeling, diving, or swimming with sharks. Unfortunately, the most readily-accessible option for some “shark fans” to see sharks is at a shark-fishing tournament.