I know a lot of people are afraid of sharks (I get it--no one wants to be chomped), but I think they're amazing animals. I've only ever caught a glimpse of one on a dive once, and was SO excited to see it!
This curious mako shark said hello to boaters in New Zealand with a little love bite!
The thing with many sharks attacks is, they aren't necessarily trying to eat humans (humans are too bony for a shark's liking), but their way of investigating involves making contact with people via their teeth (cut them a break; they don't have hands). The shark just wants to know what you are, and see if you're food, so they give you a small bite. Most often, when they realize you're not a seal or a fish, they lose interest and swim away. The problem being, that their "love bite" is so disastrous that you wind up losing a limb. Yeah, it sucks. But you can rest easy knowing a shark isn't actively trying to nom you.
Anyway, say hi to the mako shark!
Photo: Getty Images