Please Don’t Pet the Shark

Imagine you’re splashing around in the ocean. Suddenly, in the distance, you spot a shark. And not just any shark. A massive great white shark, one of the most feared predators in the ocean.

What would you do?

Most people would swim away in terror.

But that’s not what happened last January, when a woman named Ocean Ramsey spotted a great white off the coast of Hawaii. She swam right up to the fearsome creature and stroked its rough skin. She had her friend snap a few photos, which she posted on Instagram.

“Beyond magic!” she wrote. “Beautiful.”

This was not the first time Ramsey had posed with a shark. In fact, she does it often. Her goal? To show that sharks are not the monsters they are often made out to be, and to inspire others to help protect them.

And sharks do need our protection—urgently. Each year, between 70 and 100 million sharks are killed by humans. Some die when they get tangled in fishing gear, but most are hunted for their fins. Shark fin soup is a prized dish in many countries, where some people believe shark fins have healing powers.

Now, many species of sharks are nearly extinct. Others, including the great white, are threatened. This is catastrophic for sharks, the oceans, and humans. All of us on Earth—humans, animals, plants—are connected. If something happens to one species, it can trigger a chain reaction that affects many others.

For example, if great white sharks disappeared, the number of seals would skyrocket because great whites eat seals. All those seals would gobble up small fish until there weren’t many left. What would happen to the birds that survive by eating those smaller fish? What about the humans who depend on fishing for food or jobs? Without sharks, many creatures would struggle to survive.

When it comes to protecting sharks, we should all be as passionate as Ramsey. But is it ever a good idea to snuggle up to a great white? Certainly not. Many scientists expressed horror over Ramsey’s shark photos, noting the potential for harm to both Ramsey and the sharks.

Of course, Ramsey isn’t the only one posing with wild animals. You don’t have to look far to find thousands of selfies of people hugging elephants, petting sloths, and nuzzling lion cubs. But taking these selfies can be dangerous to humans—and cruel to wild animals that become stressed by human interactions.

According to the Wildlife Selfie Code, recently released by the organization World Animal Protection, it’s OK to photograph animals in their natural habitats—from afar. Indeed, sharing such photos can inspire wonder and respect for wild creatures. But avoid selfies with animals that are being held, hugged, or restrained, that are being baited with food, or that could hurt you.

So yes, learn everything you can about sharks and other creatures that fascinate you—and work to protect them. But when you want a good animal picture for Instagram, pose with your dog. 

This article was originally published in the November 2019 issue.