Thursday, September 29, 2011
The ridiculous reason why I used to hate sharks
Like I said in my last post, I loved sharks when I was little and about a year ago I began to hate them. The reason is so ridiculous I'm ashamed to say it. I got really into dolphins at the time. I began to like them so much I just decided that sharks were stupid. I know, it doesn't make any sense. Just because you like one thing a lot doesn't mean that you can't like another thing too. Now, I love them both. I know that I've never actually interacted with either of them in the wild, but I think of them as my friends and I don't want anything bad to happen to them. But unfortunately, they're tortured brutally all the time.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
I'm now a Shark Angel
I just registered as a Shark Angel and I'm so happy! I also signed up for Shark Savers a while back. I can't believe I went from not caring about sharks about a year ago to loving them and wanting to save them right now.
When I was little, I was fascinated with them and loved watching shows about them with my dad. As I got older, I thought they were cool but I wasn't all for saving them. I didn't even know about shark finning. Suddenly, for a reason which I think is ridiculous, I began to go against them. I knew of shark finning, but it didn't bother me. I viewed them as big stupid animals that had no purpose. I hated them and cared nothing about the conservation of them. A few months later, I flew over to Atlanta Georgia to stay for a few days. I went to the Georgia aquarium, the world's largest aquarium. I did the Planet Shark exhibit which had sharks' importance awareness, information on prehistoric species, finning threats, and a fully preserved frozen mako shark. After that day, I no longer hated sharks.
It's only been in the last couple months that I've really loved sharks and cared about them. I don't know how I could have ever hated them and not been bothered by the horrible murder of them that takes place every single day. I didn't think that I could do much to help sharks. I just hoped that activists would help. But no. You don't have to live by the sea or even get out of your house to be an activist. I am only 12, and here's what I've done:
Made this blog
Signed a petition to ban the shark fin trade in the U.S, which is my country
Became a Shark Angel
Joined Shark Savers
Watched Sharkwater
Educated myself through books and the internet to know what's truly going on
Now I know it may not seem like much compared to some other activists, but what more can a 13 year old do? I could donate, but if I donated I'd want to use my own money not my parents'. If it was my parents' money, I wouldn't feel like that I was doing it. If I could, I'd donate to local humane societies and SPCAs, shark conservation websites, and savejapandolphins.org. But I just don't know what my parents would think about it. When I am older, into college, and into my own house I'll be able to help animals even more. I'll be able to help them directly, through travel and a career. But as of now, I'll just have to wait, updating my blog with my latest news and feelings. But I'm very proud of what I've done already.
You can become a Shark Angel or Cherub at sharkangels.com
When I was little, I was fascinated with them and loved watching shows about them with my dad. As I got older, I thought they were cool but I wasn't all for saving them. I didn't even know about shark finning. Suddenly, for a reason which I think is ridiculous, I began to go against them. I knew of shark finning, but it didn't bother me. I viewed them as big stupid animals that had no purpose. I hated them and cared nothing about the conservation of them. A few months later, I flew over to Atlanta Georgia to stay for a few days. I went to the Georgia aquarium, the world's largest aquarium. I did the Planet Shark exhibit which had sharks' importance awareness, information on prehistoric species, finning threats, and a fully preserved frozen mako shark. After that day, I no longer hated sharks.
It's only been in the last couple months that I've really loved sharks and cared about them. I don't know how I could have ever hated them and not been bothered by the horrible murder of them that takes place every single day. I didn't think that I could do much to help sharks. I just hoped that activists would help. But no. You don't have to live by the sea or even get out of your house to be an activist. I am only 12, and here's what I've done:
Made this blog
Signed a petition to ban the shark fin trade in the U.S, which is my country
Became a Shark Angel
Joined Shark Savers
Watched Sharkwater
Educated myself through books and the internet to know what's truly going on
Now I know it may not seem like much compared to some other activists, but what more can a 13 year old do? I could donate, but if I donated I'd want to use my own money not my parents'. If it was my parents' money, I wouldn't feel like that I was doing it. If I could, I'd donate to local humane societies and SPCAs, shark conservation websites, and savejapandolphins.org. But I just don't know what my parents would think about it. When I am older, into college, and into my own house I'll be able to help animals even more. I'll be able to help them directly, through travel and a career. But as of now, I'll just have to wait, updating my blog with my latest news and feelings. But I'm very proud of what I've done already.
You can become a Shark Angel or Cherub at sharkangels.com
Monday, September 5, 2011
I want to dive!
I've been doing tons of research on sharks lately, and now I want to get closer to them, beyond Google searches and book pages. I want to dive with sharks. That might sound very strange coming from a 13 year old girl, but I'm not like most girls. 'Scary' animals don't bother me. "Sharks and snakes and alligators, oh my!" simply doesn't fit me. Most animals don't scare me.
Now, back to the diving topic. I would do anything to jump in the sea right now and dive next to sharks in a coral reef. After becoming inches from the face of a blacktip reef shark behind glass at the aquarium restaurant, I want to become inches from a shark face with no glass. Not a great white or tiger shark face but a reef shark or some other bottom dweller. I'm not sure if I would get in the water with a great white without a shark cage, at least until I'm very experienced. Surprisingly, I'd get in with a great white without a cage before I'd jump in the sea beside a wild orca pod. But a mako on the other hand, they are not nearly as dangerous and scary as they look with their curved, jagged teeth and their huge solid black eyes. They are actually a very shy species, and I'd dive with them any day without a shark cage. Hammerheads are very similar in reputation to makos. They are strange and scary looking but actually very shy. One of the least scary-looking (you can't even see their teeth unless they are eating) large species is the beautiful blue shark, swift and agile with their long, lean bodies. They are one of the about 20 species of shark that are considered dangerous, but I have never heard of anybody being attacked by one. I've only seen pictures and videos of divers interacting with and feeding them. To tell the truth, I don't care if a shark species is on the danger list because most reports of attacks are very exaggerated and I know the cause for most attacks and it makes perfect sense. But sadly the shy and graceful blue, mako, and hammerhead sharks are three of the most targeted species for finning. Lastly, I believe that diving with a basking or whale shark would be awesome and exhilarating as well.
I could snorkel in the ocean easily, but scuba diving is better since you can go deep under. I am old enough to start diving now, but I still have to wait. I don't live near good beaches and I need to become a better swimmer first. My ocean friends will just have to wait for me for a few more years. Then, I'll meet my friends for the first time, but I will feel as if I've known them forever.
Now, back to the diving topic. I would do anything to jump in the sea right now and dive next to sharks in a coral reef. After becoming inches from the face of a blacktip reef shark behind glass at the aquarium restaurant, I want to become inches from a shark face with no glass. Not a great white or tiger shark face but a reef shark or some other bottom dweller. I'm not sure if I would get in the water with a great white without a shark cage, at least until I'm very experienced. Surprisingly, I'd get in with a great white without a cage before I'd jump in the sea beside a wild orca pod. But a mako on the other hand, they are not nearly as dangerous and scary as they look with their curved, jagged teeth and their huge solid black eyes. They are actually a very shy species, and I'd dive with them any day without a shark cage. Hammerheads are very similar in reputation to makos. They are strange and scary looking but actually very shy. One of the least scary-looking (you can't even see their teeth unless they are eating) large species is the beautiful blue shark, swift and agile with their long, lean bodies. They are one of the about 20 species of shark that are considered dangerous, but I have never heard of anybody being attacked by one. I've only seen pictures and videos of divers interacting with and feeding them. To tell the truth, I don't care if a shark species is on the danger list because most reports of attacks are very exaggerated and I know the cause for most attacks and it makes perfect sense. But sadly the shy and graceful blue, mako, and hammerhead sharks are three of the most targeted species for finning. Lastly, I believe that diving with a basking or whale shark would be awesome and exhilarating as well.
I could snorkel in the ocean easily, but scuba diving is better since you can go deep under. I am old enough to start diving now, but I still have to wait. I don't live near good beaches and I need to become a better swimmer first. My ocean friends will just have to wait for me for a few more years. Then, I'll meet my friends for the first time, but I will feel as if I've known them forever.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)