"Shark Bites"

Well, what do you know. I blogged about sharks about two weeks ago, I blogged about a book of sharks two days ago, so what do I spot at Wolfie's school's latest books sale? Another book about sharks. It's titled Shark Bites, it even comes with a cool shark tooth necklace. But they got me with the cover. Wolfie was not too keen on it, but since he wanted two other books and it was three for two, we got the Shark Bites one too. I can't wait to read it together. I guess he will end up with the tooth necklace, but hey.

"Mad about... Sharks"

Last year, as I had suddenly turned unemployed and had plenty of time on my hands, I spent a fair deal of it in charity shops. I fumbled upon a children book about sharks, aptly titled Mad about... Sharks. As I explained to the cashier: "For £0.50, it's in my price range." Which I think deserves to be a great unknown line. Anyway, it's cheap, but it's educational, and of course it's a great opportunity for me to read it with Wolfie. We both love to learn about sharks. Especially at this price.

The Shark's Mouth

We went to Brighton for a week. SO I took a few pictures, which I will share in the upcoming days and weeks. My wife had wanted to visit Brighton for a while, because it's meant to be a kind of hippy place with lots of veggie and vegan restaurants. Which is kind of true. Anyway, it's near the sea, which means the city has its share of sea and marine imagery. I took this picture by a minigolf. We didn't stop there, but I big scary shark, even if it's not a real one. It looks like a real one anyway.

Les requins du Saint-Laurent

J'avais blogué sur le sujet le mois dernier: il y a des requins blancs dans le Saint-Laurent. Le 9 septembre, on sortait un autre article sur le sujet dans la grosse Presse. Outre cela, on donne quelques conseils de prudence, comme par exemple de ne pas aller nager près des phoques. Les phoques faisant partie du régime alimentaire des grands blancs, ils pourraient confondre le nageur et l'animal. Et si ça arrivait, le nageur dirait vite phoque. (Pardon pour le calembour atroce, je ne pouvais pas résister.) Non mais blague à part, je trouve cette nouvelle fascinante. Ce qui m'inquiète, ce n'est pas tant la présence de requins blancs dans le fleuve, mais c'est le réchauffement des eaux qui est la cause de leur présence.

Des requins blancs dans le St-Laurent

Grosse nouvelle pour les baigneurs et les amateurs de requins: on a observé l'apparition de requins blancs dans le Saint-Laurent. Je ne sais pas si la nouvelle vous remplit de terreur, mais moi je la trouve fascinante. 

Shark Whisperer

 I blogged last month about my interest for shark, particularly this time of year. Like I said, I tend to watch sea related stories and shark documentaries. So I watched the Netflix documentary series Shark Whisperer with fascination. I know featured conservationist and shark lover Ocean Ramsey is controversial, but I really enjoyed it all the same. For two reasons. One, I think it's great that sharks have an advocate, given that many shark species are now endangered. Two, because the images were simply, absolutely, utterly, breathtakingly gorgeous. Even if you find sharks scary, I think Shark Whisperer could make you see them in a compeltely different light. Anyway, that's my viewing recommendation today.

Shark Time

 I blogged not very long ago that I sometimes get fascinated by sharks. Especially, I must say, round this time of year, when people start thinking about seaside holidays and trips to the beach. For some, a beach holiday means fun, sun and sand, for me it means danger and let's stay clear of the water. I love swimming, but in a pool, not in the sea. So I have decided to have a bit of fun and enjoy some shark documentaries. Basically, I just checked on every streaming service we have and looked for available programs about sharks, I saved them in my viewing list and I will watch them in the coming weeks. if you have any recommendations, please let me know in the comments section.

Megalodon

 Oh the things internet algorithms lead you to. Yesterday, I received a reading suggestion from Google, about this article from Oceanographic, a magazine I knew nothing about. It's about new discoveries regarding the megalodon's diet. I don't know much about the megalodon, except that it is an extinct species of sharks and from what I understand the biggest predatory fish who ever existed. Like a real life monster, if it sitll existed. And sometimes I kind of hope it did. Because I am fascinated by all things shark. Also, this article reminds me that I haven't watched shark documentaries in a long time. I will try to correct this in the next few days. In any case, megalodon is the word of the day.

Des requins blancs dans le golfe du Saint-Laurent

Une bonne nouvelle que j'ai voulu souligner: j'ai appris il y a deux jours dans un article de La Presse qu'il y a d'avantage de requins blancs dans le golfe du Saint-Laurent. C'est une bonne nouvelle, parce que c'est une espècemenacée, cela voudrait donc dire qu'il y a peut-être plus de requins blancs qu'il y en avait auparavant. Dans cet autre article, on nous dit d'ailleurs que la population de grands requins blancs pourrait être en hausse. Remarquez le conditionnel, mais quand même, il y a de quoi se réjouir, pour peu qu'on aime la nature et les animaux, même ceux qui sont dangeureux.

Why Sharks Attack

I watched recently a BBC documentary, called Why Sharks Attack. I love sharks, or rather, they fascinate me. I used to binge on sharks documentaries when I was a child, I never missed one on television. So I watched this one eagerly and really enjoyed it. I learned a lot about different species of sharks and their interaction, so to speak, with humans. It didn't make sharks less scary, but it did make them less monstrous. I also found out quite a few documentaries about sharks on BBC iPlayer, including some that are designed for a younger audience, so I can watch them with Wolfie. Cool. In any case, I heartily recommend Why Sharks Attack, if you can watch it. I mean if you can access it because you are in the UK, or find it from another source. And if you are not scared of sharks, of course.

Cocaine Shark?

Okay, so you probably know about the movie Cocaine Bear, which I must confess I haven't seen and don't really care to watch in any case. Well, my wife sent me this article. Its title is obviously clickbait, nevertheless it is an interesting if scary thing to ponder: we might have to deal with sharks intoxicated with cocaine off the coast of Florida. I am fascinated by sharks, like many men of my generation, so my wife knows my fascination for the apex sea predators so she sends me articles like this one from time to time. I am also watching a documentary about shark attacks, but this will be for another post. Right now, I just wanted to share with you the clickbait article. Okay, so I really don't think this can be taken seriously for now, for one I doubt that much cocaine is being thrown in the wild so to speak, let alone end up in sharks' stomachs, which are from what I understand very resilient. Nevertheless, it would make for a more interesting dramatic premisse than a bear on coke. If sharks do get high on drugs, then humans are to blame. As always.

Sharks versus Killer Whales

 Here is a bit of news from the natural world. It got me surprised. So I stumbled on an article from Pocket: The Predator that Makes Great White Sharks Flee in Fear. The predator in question is... the killer whale. I guess with a name like that, I should not have been surprised. I know orcas are not the cute cuddly creatures they are often depicted as in movies and aquariums. Still, it's the great white we are talking about. That seemingly unstoppable predator of the sea. I always had a bit of fascination for great white sharks and sharks in general. I guess I am not very original saying this, but from an evolutionary standpoint, they are simply amazing. So it kind of makes me sad that killer whales can get the better of them.

Shark Plane

 There was a special fayre in the park a few months ago. At the time, I did not have much time to blog about it and what I saw there, because it was early October and Halloween was on its way. But anyway, like in many fayres in this country (and others), there were a few vintage vehicles on display. Among them, this plane, with a painted shark's head at its nose. Wolfie and I were fascinated by it. Vehicles often fascinate Wolfie, vehicles associated with a predatory animal (or indeed any animal) fascinate me, so this one caught our attention. I don't knowthe story of this plane, but I think it needs one.

The Shark of East Hampton, NY

We went on a day out a few days ago and parked in a public parking next to a truck. I think it was a Range Rover, I might be wrong. On this vehicle there were two stickers, including this one, which caught my attention. The car was British, but obviously they have been to East Hampton in the state of New York. I have never been to East Hampton or heard about East Hampton before. Of course what caught my attention was the shark. Apparently there's been shark sighting there in the recent past. I am not sure why, but I find all this fascinating: now I know of a place in the US I have never heard of or noticed before and I also a bit of local news. All this because we parked next to a car that had this.

Giant Shark

I took this picture at Sundown Adventureland and I am sharing it today just for fun. I was checking my old pictures and this one struck me. This critter is right by the Jolly Pirate Boat Ride which was not open when we visited it. A shame, but there were so many cool attractions there that I didn't mind. That shark was very impressive and looked absolutely huge, so I had to take a picture of it. If you have sharp eyes, you might see that there is a bait and aabove its head, hanging from a big fishing stick. It does bring a bit of fun to the sight, but the shark is no less terrifying. I think it's a great white, or at least it looks like one. Anyway, I thought I'd share this picture today.

Un grand requin blanc aux Îles-de-la-Madeleine

Je suis en retard dans le rapport de nouvelles, mais je ne voulais pas l'ignorer: un grand requin blanc a été aperçu au large des Îles-de-la-Madeleine. Quand je dis un grand, celui en question est en fait petit. Qu'à cela ne tienne, c'est quand même impressionnant de savoir qu'elles ont eu un pareil visiteur. Alors chers lecteurs, si vous çetes fatigués, allez vous baigner au large des Îles-de-la-Madeleine, ça va vous requinquer. Désolé, il fallait que je commette ce calembour atroce. Dans un registre plus sérieux, Vraie Fiction fait dans la nouvelle marine ces temps-ci (voir il y a deux jours). La vie sous-marine me fascine depuis des années, je suis servi ces temps-ci.

Sharks are terrifying

I took this picture at the National Museum in Cardiff. I don't know what kind of shark it is exactly, I should have taken notes when I was there, I don't think it is one that is necessarily dangerous for man but let's face it: he's terrifying all the same. I am fascinated by shark since I am a little boy, like so many little boys I guess, sharks have fed my nightmares as much as my imagination. Seeing one like this, even stuffed, even hanging there, it is very impressive. It's like being in the ocean and seeing it swimming above your head.

Sharks are funny

Sometimes I blog about serious topics, sometimes about high or popular literature, sometimes about trivial things I like, but other times, I just blog about something silly and funny I found on the internet. This post is the latter. One of my friends on Facebook posted this on his wall. I have no idea if this is a one off or if the authors did a series of comic strips about sharks, I have not done any research about it yet, but anyway I thought this joke was absolutely hilarious. Simple and absurd, as I love them. So I had to share it. Who would have thought? Sharks are funny.

Ancient shark in cold water

Sometimes the creatures of the deep just fascinate me. And I recently read something fascinating about one of them: scientists may have found a Greenland shark that is about 400 years old. That would make her a very elderly lady (as the shark is a female), but also the oldest vertebrate on Earth (if the calculations are correct, as the claim is challenged). Or well, the oldest vertebrate in Earth's oceans. But let's say for blogging's sake that this is true. She has survived wars, fishing, pollution, what have you. When nature can be so strong, you can't help feeling respect. I wonder what the Greenland shark thinks, if she is conscious of her age, of our presence as primates, land dwellers, when we go near or in her natural habitate, and what she thinks of our specie. Ok, so I am anthropomorphizing the old lady shamelessly, but one can wonder.

Shark Attack!

Here is a bit of news coming from South Africa, which you probably heard about already, because it is this kind of news. It fascinated me, as such news always do: a surfer narrowly escaped a shark attack in South Africa. Tragedy was averted, but this is nevertheless dramatic news and dwell into our most primal fears. I don't want to make fun of an event that could have ended up with the death of a man, but seeing the fins moving towards the surfer and the attack was breathtaking, because it was so genuine. It is kind of fitting that it happens in the same year Jaws is celebrating his 40th anniversary. Every time there is a shark attack, people mention the movie, I guess I just wrote something very banal here. But I consider real life events regarding sharks and documentaries about them far more interesting than any work of fiction, however entertaining. I have to confess, I find sharks as fascinating as they are scary.