Hothead of the Day: Jay vs Kasey on Sharks

The shark attack on Nauset Beach sparked a heated debate between a regular caller and myself this morning. Jay claims that sharks kill for the hell of it, and I called bull-shark.

My main argument was that if a shark attacks a human, it's most likely because it confused the person with a seal, or something else it usually preys on - for FOOD. A shark would not go out of its way to attack a human simply because it enjoys killing. A human on a surfboard on the surface looks like a seal to a shark down below.

"The most frequent of [unprovoked attacks] are hit-and-run attacks — when the shark grabs, releases and leaves the scene. The shark could be investigating the individual, thinking he or she was its usual prey." - Discovery.com

"The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explains that sharks do not normally hunt humans, but if they do attack, it is usually a case of mistaken identity. Assuming a large, predatory shark has not been exposed to human flesh before, it is probably used to biting into thick-tissued, fatty sea lions, seals and similar-bodied prey. Sometimes sharks will investigate potential food items by taking a taste. Unfortunately, given their many rows of sharp teeth, a few shark species can cause an individual to bleed to death after a single bite." -  Discovery.com

I do not claim to be a shark expert by any measure, but I've watched enough Shark Week to know that there is no such thing as a shark killing anyone or anything just for the sake of killing.