In 1973 I read the book Jaws by Peter Benchley. 1973 was two years before the movie based on the book hit theaters. I was 13 at the time and living in Michigan, a solid 700 miles from the nearest maneater lurking off the shores of Massachusetts. That did not stop me from having misgivings about swimming anywhere that my feet could not touch the bottom. This made me a lot of fun to mess with in the deep end of friends’ swimming pools.
Subtly behind that fear was a sort of fascination with the idea that somehing so big existed and would consider me a meal if the opportunity existed.
When the Discovery Channel started broadcasting Shark Week, I could not help myself. Over the years, this fascination has turned to appreciation for the Great White Shark. It doesn’t have ill intent, it isn’t evil, it is just doing what a shark must do to survive. When it comes to hunting, they do it in the most efficient manner possible. That many shark attacks appear to be of the sneak attack kind is really just a function of the fact that the shark is looking to preserve itself. It has learned that simply swimming up to expecting prey is going to necessarily cause thrashing around that could be injurious to the shark. That picture on the cover of Jaws with a shark speeding vertically toward the swimmer is in fact accurate with regard to how sharks attack. The movies depiction of the attack on Chrissie, the girl swimmer isn’t, but that’s Hollywood for you. I particularly like the part where Chrissie is gliding across the water toward the buoy as if the shark is playing with her before he eats her.
Swimming in the open ocean is not an option
I’m not sure there is a strong business message in Shark Week. If I had to identify one, it is to have appreciation for the fact that these animals work efficiently. Most are incapable of emotion, most have brain function only a fraction of ours, yet they get the job done, because they had better stay focused on the job at hand or they won’t be around tomorrow. Think about your survival and more things will get done. Don’t act out of fear – that is a devasating emotion for the sake of business grwoth and progress. But just think about the highest and best use of your time as an essential activity to your survival as a business.
I’ll admit is, the videos of Great Whites flinging themselves out of the water to go after a seal really creeps me out.
It also caused the retirement of my black swim shorts. I’m just saying.
Larry