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Ultimate Guides - Sharks and Rays: The Ultimate Guide to Underwater Predators - Leighton R. Taylor
by bettyboop2002
I have no idea where or why I came across this book, I know I didn't buy it and I also know it has been in my bookcase for a few use, never looked at until recently. When we were babysitting my boyfriends nephew he was complaining about having to do homework on something from the sea.
We told him to have a look at this book and ... before we knew it, the homework was done and I was reading the book myself!
I was amazed by the amount of information in the book. It really has everything you could wish to know about sharks and rays. There are 288 pages in the book spread out over 8 chapters. There are photographs and diagrams throughout the book which make it colourful and interesting to look through.
I'm not a shark expert, but I think I can safely say if it's not in this book, it's not worth knowing. It is jam packed with interesting and useful information. Here's a quick breakdown of the chapters:
UNDERSTANDING SHARKS AND RAYS (chapter 1)
Information on their habitat, myths and legends, what a shark and a ray is, their relatives and the dangers of viewing sharks.
In this chapter there are some interesting references from history including shark biology by Aristotle in 350BC. The pictures are great as they are throughout the book and help to break up a lot of text.
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH SHARKS AND RAYS (chapter 2)
Sharks and rays in history, shark fishing, the use of sharks and rays, decline in shark and ray populations, changing habitats, oceans under threat, should the fishing be reduced, myths and facts, changing attitudes, the nature of shark attacks, the reality of shark attack, living safely with sharks and rays, unveiling the mysteries of the oceans, sharks and rays behind glass, what's happening today and getting involved in shark conservation.
This was the chapter that got me really interested in the book, it has a variety of stats, pictures and text. It covers areas which really interest me, such as the idiotic people who kill sharks for their fins alone to serve as delicacies such as shark fin soup. I'm far from an animal rights activist but I would not eat in a restaurant that served this.
Also mentioned were the use of sharks for medical purposes, anything medical interests me but I found out some interesting facts such as:
- Oils from the liver being used in pharmaceuticals being high in vitmin A and acting as anticoagulants
- In the US, shark corneas are proving successful a transplants for human eyes.
One thing I didn't like was the table they included to show that shark attacks are rare. To try and prove this point they have chosen selected causes of death in Hawaii in 1996 stating that out of 7206 deaths 2178 were from heart disease, 1713 from cancer, 58 from falls, 44 from homicide and none from shark attacks. Data like this, to me anyway, is ridiculous, I don't think it accurately shows the risk of death from a shark attack. What percentage of the population would be in a situation where they could be attacked by a shark? I don't know why but to me, it seems silly to compare shark attacks to unpreventable deaths due to disease. If the number of deaths from shark attacks was compared to diving deaths, parachute deaths, or boating deaths it would make more sense to me.
What I do find more interesting is the table showing the number of attacks and how many of these proved fatal which was lower than I thought being 6 out of 50 attacks across the world.
IN THE FIELD (chapter 3)
Planning a field trip vacation, preparation, getting closer, expanding the knowledge, encounters with sharks and rays, protective equipment, underwater photography, underwater filming, learning to scuba dive, scuba - what you need to know, snorkelling - what you need to know, boating and fishing.
This was another really interesting chapter with more scenic photographs. The chapter contained useful information for travellers in general as well as shark hunters. There is a section on preventing malaria, how to choose a reputable agent or tour operator and information on getting the correct equipment. The photography sections are also more general which is good. There's also a section I found quite funny on what to do if you encounter a shark or ray, starting with 'don't panic' followed by 'maintain eye contact'. I don't plan on being in a situation where I'll be encountering these creatures but if I was I think I'd struggle with these first two instructions.
SHARKS (chapter 4)
Identifying and classifying sharks, the evolution and radiation of sharks, the body form and function of sharks, the internal environment of sharks, vision, smell, taste and touch, balance, hearing, lateral line and the electrosense, the shark's lair, shark reproduction, shark behaviour, food and feeding, daily movements and migration
This chapter includes some useful diagrams including the anatomy of a shark (very useful for the homework project). The chapter focuses mainly on the physical make up of the shark, it is informative and I did find the picture of the egg cases containing embryos quite fascinating.
RAYS (chapter 5)
Identifying and classifying rays, the evolution and radiation of rays, the anatomy and biology of rays, the habitat of the ray, life cycle and reproduction, survival and defense, movement and propulsion, behaviour and conservation, ,
Again this chapter focuses mainly of the physical make up of the ray. I tried to avoid looking at these pictures as they gave me the creeps a bit. There's some real ugly slimy ones in this chapter. There's a section on treating ray stings but unfortunately no stats of the amount of stings and how many are fatal. I was shocked to read about the 200 volt shock given out by an electric ray though!
SHARKS FIELD GUIDE (chapter 6)
In this chapter there is a page for each breed of shark with information pictures and some field notes telling you where they can be found, their size, if they are dangerous, how rare they are and when the best time to see them is. There's around 70 different kinds of shark mentioned, I had absolutely no idea there were so many! I'd only heard of the nurse shark, tiger shark and hammerhead shark. Some of these don't even look like sharks, they can be brightly coloured and look like plants. Some of them are utterly revolting like the shark with my favourite name, the 'Tasselled Wobbegong'!
RAYS FIELD GUIDE (chapter 7)
As with the sharks field guide, the rays field guide chapter has a page for each ray with notes stating where they are found, their size, aggressiveness, what time of year you can find them and how common they are. Some of these are really nice colours, one has a leopard print pattern, the pictures are both fabulous and freaky of the rays.
ENCOUNTERS WITH SHARKS AND RAYS (chapter 8)
This chapter has a couple of pages on several popular locations to visit when looking for sharks and rays. For each location it tells you the best time of year to visit, the weather, water temperature, dive location and accommodation.
In the middle of multiple exotic locations is the Isle of Man. I was actually considering a trip here but I'll be staying well clear of the water!
The book ends with some further information resources such as book and magazine titles. A helpful list or organisations and their contact details an finally an index and glossary are included.
Overall
This book could prove to be really useful for anyone with an interest in travel, diving and sea life. For those that don't it's still an interesting and informative read.
I'm glad I finally got around to opening this book. I was planning on flicking through and looking at the pictures but got distracted by little boxes of facts and ended up reading the whole this.
For any kids this is a good book as it is educational as well as visually appealing.
Full marks from me for a book I really enjoyed on a topic I had zero interest in.
The R.R.P price for this book is £12.99, used copies can be bought from £3 including delivery online.
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