Speak up for sharks

摘要

I Have seen a shark attack, and it is dramatic. On a recent trip to Cape Town, South Africa, I watched great whites breaching from beneath seals in successful and unsuccessful predations. These are attempts to kill. Shark predations on seals are attacks, because the intent is clear. However, to suggest that shark on-human encounters should be called predations would be wrong. The way sharks encounter seals is fundamentally different from how they treat humans. I believe the time is right for science to reconsider its use of the phrase "shark attack" on humans.