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SEA SERPENT? It is believed by many oceanographers that tales about sea serpents are actually rare sightings of the frilled shark. This deepwater shark has a long body, much like an eel, and can reach up to 7 ft. (2 m) in

TIME TO EXPLORE As you continue through this reading adventure, you will discover some of the most unusual sharks in the entire world. Some we have learned a lot about, but others we still know very little about. Going into the deep water is like visiting a country that is thousands of miles away. Things may look different and behavior may vary. After all, people living in a hot desert live life very differently than those living in the Arctic Circle. Yet, just as people are people, the sharks that live in the deepest parts of the ocean are still sharks. Some are small, others large, most eat meat, and still others eat plankton. In the end, however, each is as unique and wonderful as all the others. Maybe one day you will find your way to the ocean floor and discover a new kind of shark that nobody else has yet seen. Wouldn’t that be exciting? Just like the legend at the start of this chapter and the thought of sea monsters, people are more afraid of things they do not know or understand. By doing all you can to learn about how wonderful sharks are, you can help teach others that sharks do not need to be feared. You can help them learn that fear often disappears with understanding. Start with your friends and family and see how many can come to love these beautiful and unusual creatures of the deep sea. SIDEBAR length. Most frilled sharks live as far down as 4,200 ft. (approximately 1280 m), but occasionally one will find its way into a fishing net or close to the surface. Usually, this happens because the shark is ill. Since frilled sharks rarely come to the surface, it is easy to understand how seeing a seven-foot, snake-like creature floating along the surface of the water could make someone feel scared. While this does not eliminate the possible existence of sea monsters, it is much more likely that people have actually seen frilled sharks.

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