Contrary to what the movies tell us, sharks are not terrifying giants out to get us underwater. This #SharkAwarenessDay let us bust myths about this group of fishes and regard them in a new light! The presence of sharks and rays are good indicators of healthy marine life. As top predators, seeing them means there is plenty of food in the sea, from which they prey on the weaker and most abundant ones. Unfortunately, many of our known sharks and rays are threatened due to targeted hunting, finning, by-catch, and habitat degradation. Their numbers plummeted by 90% in the last half-century. Sharks were here first. They’ve been in our oceans for millions of years and swam our oceans even before dinosaurs existed. Awareness is the first step to understanding and eventually caring and advocating for this often-misjudged marine species. Let us treat each living creature with kindness and respect, whether they look enchanting or unsightly. After all, we only have this only one planet to share. For more information about sharks in the Philippines, read here: https://www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/2022/07/14/shark-awareness-day/ Text by Zoology Division