MYTH: Whale sharks, the largest species of sharks, are voracious predators.
FACT: Whale sharks, which are the largest fish that ever lived, are plankton feeders like the great whales, thus the name.

MYTH: Sharks are very hard to kill.
FACT: The stress of being captured easily weakens a shark, so often many sharks are killed by hook-and-line fishermen and commercial netters.

MYTH: Sharks have tiny brains and are incapable of learning.
FACT: Sharks' relatively large and complex brains are comparable in size to those of supposedly more advanced animals like mammals and birds. Sharks also can be trained.

MYTH: Most sharks cruise at high speed when they swim.
FACT: Although some sharks can swim at bursts up to 25 mph, most sharks swim very slowly at cruising speeds around 5mph.

MYTH: Sharks are not found in freshwater.
FACT: A specialized osmoregulatory system enables the quite popular bull shark to handle dramatic changes in salinity -- from the fresh water of lakes and rivers to the highly salty waters of the ocean.

MYTH: Sharks are not discriminating eaters and scavenge the sea.
FACT: While this belief about shark eating habits is true of some species, it is not universally true. A tiger shark may gulp down anything it encounters, including shoes, license plates and canned goods (still in the can), but most species of sharks prefer to eat fish, crustaceans and mollusks.

MYTH: Sharks must roll over on their sides to bite.
FACT: Sharks can attack from whatever direction they please. They have a unique jaw design that allows them to protrude their jaw beyond their snouts, so they can even latch on to something directly in front of them.

A reef shark on the prowl is seldom a target for anglers. Photos by FS Forum member "B'reefRelief"

MYTH: Sharks have no enemies.
FACT: The greatest enemy of sharks is man. He kills and hacks off the fins of 30 to 100 million sharks each year. That is, in three to five years fishers kill the equivalent of the entire population of the U.S. Humans are not natural predators of sharks, as we are terrestrial hunters and didn't really fish for sharks until we became civilized. Now we cut off fins and throw the living creature back to die on the bottom of the sea.

MYTH: If a shark attacks you, you should punch it in the nose as hard as you can.
FACT: While this strategy has worked for a lucky few, it is not one that is recommended by shark experts. Most marine biologists advise that you not do anything that might agitate or injure the shark, as that could make it more aggressive or attract other sharks to the area. If you do feel threatened, use a stick or other tool -- rather than your hands -- to fend it off, and poke it in the eyes or gills instead of the nose.

MYTH: Shark cartilage pills can prevent or even cure cancer.
FACT: While sharks and their close relatives have demonstrated a strong resistance to cancer, they are not entirely immune to it. There is no evidence that consuming shark cartilage will help prevent or cure this disease in humans. Dispelling this myth is crucial to help slow the demand for sharks by medical hoaxsters who are needlessly aiding in the decline of shark populations.

MYTH: There are too many sharks in the sea.
FACT: Anybody who does much fishing in the sea can attest that shark populations often seem to be on the decline. Over-fishing, water temperature changes and environmental pollution are all thought to be responsible for depleted shark populations.

MYTH: Sharks have been around forever and always will be.
FACT: Wishful thinking. Without human protection, conservation and ongoing advances in science, many species may become extinct. Luckily, many sportsmen these days are realizing this, and the trend to treat sharks as a nuisance is declining.