Mako Shark (Isurus Oxyrinchus)
Well Hello and greetings! Just when you thought it was safe to return to the water you learn about me, the top dog of the marine world. I'm what you would describe as an apex predator - it means no-one gets away. I'm fast and fierce, and when you see my fin you should be afraid!
OK now that's all the scary stuff done with - I do have a bit of a reputation to maintain! But between friends, let's speak in a less alarming way.
I am a truly magnificent shark. My looks are the classic shark looks; I have a long muscular torpedo-shaped body. The top of my body is a sleek metallic indigo blue with a shimmering white under-belly. I have large dark eyes and vertical gills on my sides (if you ever wondered where designers got the idea for vertical air vents on the sides of sports cars look no further than me!). And my teeth - well I'm a shark, and even with my mouth closed you can see my rather splendid set of teeth - they sort of stick-out a bit!
But that's not all - I'm the fastest shark in the water. I have been clocked at speeds of 74km/h and can make stunning leaps of 9 metres clean out of the water; I'm a supreme athlete. The reason I'm capable of such speed, and able to travel so widely across the world, is because I'm endothermic, which means I'm warm blooded.... so there you have it, now you know.... I'm not a cold blooded killer, it's a fact!
Actually don't worry about me eating you, I much prefer tuna or bluefish - and will really only take a nip at you if you swim into me (it's my way of saying "leave me alone"), and that said I prefer deeper waters so you're pretty unlikely to meet me when out for a casual swim at the beach.
So as it turns out I am rather a nice shark, but we sharks do have a rather bad reputation. To put it in perspective, you have more chance of being hit by lightening than being bitten by a shark.
So now you know all about me, and know what a splendid creature I am, so you may be surprised that I need protection. I'm becoming endangered because of over-fishing, both for sport - people seem to get a kick out of chasing me in their fast boats and seeing me leap out of the water to escape from their fishing hooks, but even more seriously, I'm being caught in the thousands to make shark fin soup. Apparently there's a great fashion for this in some countries and my fins have become incredibly valuable - it's awful.
I hear shark fin soup doesn't even taste of very much - in fact they have to flavour it with chicken stock. If it carries on like this, I and many of my kind will become extinct, so it will be the end of the splendid Mako Shark and the important role we play in maintaining the ocean's environment.
What can you do to help? Well you can wear this splendid organic T-shirt with my dynamic picture on; (being organic means there are no nasty pollutants used when growing or manufacturing the cotton that might harm you or get into the sea - a really good thing). This is also your big opportunity to say "YUCK, disgusting!" (or whatever comes to mind) really loudly if someone suggests that Shark Fin Soup is good. Let them know from me that it doesn't taste of anything, it's just glorified chicken soup which they have paid a ridiculous price for, and frankly vegetable noodle soup would be much more enjoyable!
Thank you
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