MANILA, Philippines - Sharks have been here for some 400 million years and have adapted to become top predators of the ocean. They possess replaceable razor-sharp teeth that grow in tens of thousands over a lifetime.
“We fear them, but at the same time, we are fascinated by them,†says Doc Ferds Recio.
In the Philippines, there are over 58 species of sharks in our waters. On the Batangas coastline, Doc Nielsen Donato and Doc Ferds encounter a group of black tip reef sharks. The black tip is a kind of shark known to prefer shallow waters, and have been accounted for more than 32 shark attacks since early records. While in South Africa, Born to be Wild gathers footage of the Great White shark itself. There have been 139 recorded Great White shark attacks in history, 29 of which were fatal.
“Because they’ve been here in this world for a very long time, naging magaling sila sa adaptation. And sila ang kino-consider na apex predator or pinakamagaling na hunter sa dagat,†explains Doc Nielsen.
But while sharks may have a deadly reputation, the two hosts discover that most if not all the sharks they encounter are threatened with extinction because of fishing pressures. As big fish whose prized fins have high commercial value, sharks are among the most heavily traded fish on the planet. And though they are highly feared because of their attack tendencies, humans have more to fear if all sharks are lost.
As apex predators, sharks keep the balance in the ocean and maintain healthy fish populations by preying on weaker fish. And while they may be the ocean’s top killers, they cannot escape the one predator that wipes out 20-100 million individuals from their population each year.
Born Impact airs Sundays after AHA! on GMA 7.