Experts from Minorities in Shark Sciences Share Their Most Shocking Shark Facts

Kelli Bender
·2 min read
Blue shark in the waters of the Azores islands.
Blue shark in the waters of the Azores islands.
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Sharks have been swimming through Earth's ocean for thousands of years, but they are still full of surprises.

SharkFest — National Geographic's summer programming experience dedicated to sharks — is in full swing and celebrating ten years of exploring the many mysteries surrounding these finned creatures. This year, National Geographic and SharkFest partnered with Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS) to learn even more about sharks and to encourage diversity and inclusion in the shark sciences field.

MISS experts appear throughout SharkFest 2022's programming, offering interesting insights into how sharks operate in the ocean. The experts also provided PEOPLE with some of their most shocking shark facts, so animal lovers can get a taste of the fascinating shark knowledge they are sharing with SharkFest this year.

Read on to see what shark information is surprising even to the experts and to learn where you can see MISS experts on SharkFest.

Exmouth, Ningaloo Reef, Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia, Australia.
Exmouth, Ningaloo Reef, Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia, Australia.

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Candace Fields — a Ph.D. student studying the population dynamics and geographic population structure of large predators

  • Whale shark spot patterns are as unique to individuals as fingerprints are to humans and can be used for identification.

  • Swell sharks can glow. However, for humans to see this glowing, they need specialized camera equipment.

Candace can be seen in World's Biggest Hammerhead? premiering on July 18 at 10 p.m. EST/9 p.m. CST on National Geographic.

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Carlee Jackson — a marine biologist, sea turtle conservationist, and shark expert who is championing diversity in the world of science

  • There are over 500 different species of sharks! Each uniquely fitting into its environmental niche.

  • Greenland sharks can live up to 500 years old. They are the oldest known vertebrate on the entire planet.

Carlee can be seen in Jaws Invasion, which premieres on July 19 at 10 p.m. EST/9 p.m. CST on National Geographic.

Bonnethead Shark in the shallows of Pine Island Sound, Florida
Bonnethead Shark in the shallows of Pine Island Sound, Florida

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Jasmin Graham — a project coordinator for the MarSci-LACE project, which is focused on researching and promoting best practices to recruit, support, and retain minority students in marine science

  • Only one shark species is known to be omnivorous (eats plants and animals: the bonnethead shark.

  • Sharks have a sixth sense. They can sense electric charges using tiny pores on their snout called the ampullae of Lorenzini.

  • Shark scales are called dermal denticles, and their modified teeth make shark skin rough enough to cut humans if they rub the skin the wrong way.

Jasmin can be seen in Jaws Invasion, which premieres on July 19 at 10 p.m. EST/9 p.m. CST on National Geographic.