Reading Activity. Student Week. 15/06/2023
Tiger Sharks
Our planet and its oceans are getting warmer. For most species of animals, this can have a
harmful effect as their habitats change and they struggle to adapt to the new conditions. But
for tiger sharks, this is not the case.
Tiger sharks love warm waters. As ocean temperatures rise, there are more areas where
they can live, hunt, and have babies. According to Neil Hammerschlag, a marine ecologist at
the University of Miami, the number of tiger sharks may well increase in the future.
Tiger sharks are among the largest sharks. They can grow to over 18 feet long (5.5 meters)
and often weigh more than 1,200 pounds (544 kilograms). They can also be aggressive. As
Hammerschlag explains, “Tiger sharks are not afraid of anything, and they're very curious."
Sometimes they'll bite out of curiosity.
So does an increase in their numbers pose any danger for people who spend a lot of time in
the water? Hammerschlag doesn’t think so. “People shouldn’t be afraid them,” he says,
“Humans are actually much more of a threat to sharks than sharks are to us.” But as their
numbers increase, the chance of encountering the shark while in the water could become
more likely.
For anyone who finds themselves in that unfortunate situation, Hammerschlag says the best
thing to do is not swim away because their food runs away from them. Instead, just approach
them and maintain eye contact. Don’t touch them or push them away, unless they’re coming
toward you with an open mouth. The most important thing to do is to keep very strong eye
contact with them and follow them around. They will probably find that uncomfortable, and
swim away.
1. How is global warming having an effect on tiger sharks?
a. It’s having a harmful effect on them
b. Their population is increasing because they love warm water
c. They’re becoming endangered
2. Who is Neil Hammerschlag?
a. a shark whisperer
b. the writer of the article
c. a marine ecologist who studies sharks
3. What are tiger sharks afraid of?
a. marine ecologists
b. everything
c. nothing
