The Unexpected Peacefulness and Beauty of Sharks

Yes, they have teeth, yes they are predators, but they are also largely misunderstood. Sharks are often portrayed as "mindless killers" or "fearsome" but really, they are fascinating, diverse and peaceful. Watching the sharks swim at the NY Aquarium brought me a beautiful sense of peace in a way that is almost indescribable. So, I wanted to share some shark info with you to inspire you to think about these remarkable fish. All the photos (except the Basking shark) are from our visit to NY Aquarium - thank you WCS!

We have two videos to share with you about two different sharks having positive interactions with people. That said, sharks are wild creatures and should be respected and protected. Give them their space, please!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qi39aL3RSE Blondie the lemon shark loves hugs!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbPrRV8b2CI Relentless the nurse shark and her human friend

Some sharks that live in our area (NYC) are the sand tiger shark, the dusky shark, the sandbar shark, the blue shark, and great white sharks. For more information about New York sharks, check this source.

Captain Spaulding (a zebra shark) at NY Aquarium that has less pigment than usual, so his coloring is very distinctive. So beautiful to watch him swim!

And, sharks don't have millions of teeth. They actually are constantly losing their teeth, while others come in. Anyway, if they had all the teeth they had had in their lifetime, it still wouldn't add up to a million. After all, the Basking Shark, a peaceful, gentle shark doesn’t even have teeth!

Basking Shark, photo from Shutterstock

Prior to visiting the sharks, I was pretty neutral about sharks; I didn't feel awed by them. I respected them but I didn't really care as much for them as I do now. While I watched the sharks swimming peacefully with fish and other aquatic friends, I felt like they were really more beautiful than I thought sharks could be and I sincerely LOVED the sharks. They are awe-inspiring, not from fear but from peace and beauty. Nurse sharks, zebra sharks, carpet sharks, wobbegongs, they are all like sea puppies - so cute!!!!

I feel like this just shows how peaceful sharks are, and how just by seeing them, you can just feel that gentleness.

There are more then 530 species of sharks in the world and if you still aren't sure, check out this article about 7 reasons why we're lucky to have sharks.

Around 80 million sharks and rays are killed by humans every year, unlike how there were four humans killed by sharks in 2024, too.

We have enjoyed all three of these beautiful pictio-biographies about amazing scientists, and highly recommend them to you.

Swimming With Sharks: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark; Heather Lang & Jordi Solano

Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist; Jess Keating & Marta Álvarez Miguéns

Mother of Sharks; Mellissa Christina Márquez & Devin Elle Kurtz

To conclude, here's a quote from Megan Winton, a research scientist, from a recent NY Post article. “There’s this popular perception that sharks are kind of these mindless killing machines that are right off of our beaches. But the more we study them, the more we learn that is certainly not the case. We are just starting to scratch the surface of what we know about these animals with these new technologies.”

We hope that the moments reading about sharks bring you peace and that the connections between all living things help us all breathe, be, and make the world better.