PowerSharks! is a fast-paced, fact-filled card game where players learn about sharks past and present while trying to gain the highest score and avoid going extinct!
Game creators Ray Troll and Matt Celeskey are some real shark a-fish-ionados who keep up with the latest news and discoveries from the watery world of sharks. We'll try to keep you updated on this website, so check back often. And if you'd like to learn more about sharks (and have a lot of fun), we'd recommend getting your hands on a deck of PowerSharks! It's fintastic!
Shark Watch
Update: June 5, 2004
Shark Tale fishing for publicity
Dreamworks has gone beyond the pale in order to promote its upcoming animated film Shark Tale, according to this story from Film Stew. Sure, the publicity stunts seem a bit ham-handed, but we'll leave questions of integrity and taste to those who aren't trying to make an honest buck with shark-related merchandise (ahem).
The real question is whether it can avoid being overshadowed by last summer's Finding Nemo, Pixar's award-winning animated aquatic adventure. Shark Tale has got some big name voice talent, but for my money it'd be hard to beat Nemo's Albert Brooks. Although it wouldn't take much to beat Nemo's scientific accuracy, according to this shocking tidbit presented by the eminently readable PZ Myers over at Pharyngula.org.
Man catches Tiger Shark
Although "shark-bites-man" stories get all the press, the vast majority of interactions between sharks and people involve the latter hunting the former. This story in the Galveston County Daily News helps correct the blatant media bias, relaying the story of a massive, 156 pound tiger shark caught in a local fishing tournament.Update: May 24, 2004
Well, its been a little while, but then the shark stories started flying fast and furious:
Shark bites boy
A nine-year old boy visiting Florida was bitten twice on the leg by a shark early Sunday afternoon, according to this story in The St. Augustine Record. The unidentified lad is expected to make a full recovery. The whereabouts of the unidentified shark are currently unknown.
Bull Sharks Busy in Brazil
Sharks attacked two people in shallow waters off the northeast coast of Brazil this weekend. A 24 year old woman was bitten on her hips and thighs on Saturday, and on Sunday a 17 year old boy lost his left hand, foot, and part of his leg in a shark attack. This makes five attacks reported in the state of Pernambuco so far this year, raising concerns that 2004 will meet or exceed the record set in 1994, when 11 attacks occurred. Although one story suggests that the bulk of these attacks are made by hammerhead and tiger sharks that patrol the reef, this report from the Houston Chronicle reveals that shark attacks increased after a port opened in a Bull shark breeding grounds.Bull sharks are one of the most dangerous species of shark from a human's point of view. They are extremely tolerant of freshwater and often make their homes near the mouths of rivers and streams, making them far more likely to encounter people than most other predatory sharks.
Wobbegong bites man
The mysterious Wobbegong is decidedly intolerant of freshwater, a fact that has kept an Australian man from going through life with an Orectolobid on his leg. Wobbegongs are known for their flat profile, cryptic coloring, and decorative fringe, which makes them look more like a piece of the seafloor than dangerous predators. These camoflaged chondrichthyans typically hide amongst algae-covered rocks, snapping up any fish that swim too close. But swimmer Luke Tresoglavic must have crossed the wrong Wobby, which not only bit him on the leg but refused to let go even after leaving the water. Other swimmers were unsuccessful in dislodging the shark, which remained clamped to Mr. Tresoglavic's leg while he drove to the beach's clubhouse. Once there, lifeguards sprayed the Wobbegong with fresh water until it relaxed its grip. Story in Outdoor Life.Update: May 6, 2004
Fast Fish and Mako-motion
The magnificent mako are the fastest sharks in the sea, fins down. They've been reliably measured swimming at speeds of 31 miles per hour, and its not unlikely that they can travel at 45 mph for short bursts. A recent study of "mako-motion" has shown that these sharks have evolved special adaptations that allow them to swim more powerfully and efficiently than almost any other fish.Most fish (and most sharks) swim using long, side-to-side motions that travel along the length of their bodies, providing thrust and propelling them forward. Makos, on the other hand, have highly developed muscles near the center of their body, which connect directly to their tails by long tendons. This means that when muscles flex in their sides, the movement is transferred directly to the end of the tail, instead of having to ripple down the length of their body. These speedy sharks swish their tails faster and more forcefully than other fish.
Interestingly, makos aren't unique in developing these super-swimming adaptations. Tuna fish are fast swimmers that have a very similar set of adaptations. But makos and tuna aren't closely related&mdashin fact, tunas are probably more closely related to you and me than to any shark. So tunas and makos evolved these adaptations convergently, that is, they independently developed similar traits in order to become efficient, high-speed swimmers.
Story on BBC news
Update: April 29, 2004
PowerSharks online!
Welcome to PowerSharks.com, your online source for oceans of shark stories, fishy facts, and all things related to PowerSharks!, the card game created by Ray Troll and Matt Celeskey. Check back often for the latest, greatest shark news and be sure to look at our fascinating collection of Shark Facts. We'd sure appreciate it if you'd purchase a deck of PowerSharks while you're in the neighborhood. And, if you'd like to learn a little about the folks who put this game together, swing by our About the Creators page.And if that's not enough to get your lateral line tingling, we'll be working on an interactive intro to PowerSharks. Drop us a line if you'd like to be notified when it comes online, if you have any suggestions, or if you've got any bits of shark news you'd like to pass along!
Update: April 24, 2004
Coconuts vs. sharks
Back in 2002, vacation insurer Club Direct claimed that, statistically, coconuts were much more dangerous than sharks. Although no one seems to dispute the stated statistic of 15 shark-attack fatalities a year, the claim of 150-deaths-by-coconuthas been subject to criticism. Fear not, shark lovers: even though the jury is out on coconuts, it appears that watching Jaws on TV is more dangerous than an attack by a Great White. Really.Update: April 22, 2004
Great White attacks boat
Story in the Courier-Mail (Queensland, Australia):From New Zealand: a 5.5 meter Great White leapt out of the ocean and sank its teeth in the side of Live'N Hope, a small fishing boat.
"It rolled its eye back and sat there for a while, and then splashed back into the water..."
Hawaii Sharks
www.hawaiisharks.comA very thorough new website created by the State of Hawaii that covers shark biology, safety, conservation, history - even a detailed account of every shark/human incident in Hawaii in the past 14 years. Looks to be an excellent shark resource.
Update: April 21, 2004
U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy report
It hasn't exactly been a secret that the world's oceans have been suffering from pollution, overfishing, and habitat degradation, but the 500-page draft report released by The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy has put together a series of actions that could be taken to protect the health of the seas. The American Zoo and Aquarium Association and The Ocean Conservancy have endorsed the plans outlined in the report. Will they be implemented? Download the report (or a more manageable summary) here, and let your elected officials know where you stand.
Sharkabet in Montana
Sharkabet, the exhibit built from the book by Ray Troll, is now showing at The Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana. PowerSharks! was originally designed as part of this exhibit, and much of the original art used in the cards will be on display there through November. If you're up in Big Sky Country, swing by and check it out. Get a glimpse of the show here.
Tiger shark attacks turtle, closes beach
From the Maui News:KIHEI - Officials closed a 2-mile stretch of beach in Kihei for more than three hours Thursday morning after a large shark was seen off Cove Park...Police received the initial report of a large tiger shark mauling a turtle about 200 feet from shore...Tiger sharks are one of the few predators that prey upon adult sea turtles, but then again they are one of the few predators that prey on just about everything--they've been known to eat sea snakes, crocodiles, seagulls, cans of peas, even tins of cigarettes! A shark that eats anything patrolling shallow waters...I'd have closed the beach, too.
Good advice
The Winston-Salem Journal presents an article on how surfers in Hawaii are dealing with the first fatal shark attack in 10 years. Towards the end is a bit of indisputable wisdom:"If the shark wants to eat any one of us, they're going to eat," said Karen Gallagher, the owner of North Shore Surf Camps on Oahu and a surfer for 40 years. "You can't outpaddle the shark."