First News - Shark season is here!

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Summer has arrived – and so have the sharks! Did you know that around our coastline we have over 30 species of shark, including some of the biggest, fastest and rarest in the world?

But not everyone is a fan of these amazing creatures. Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation says that 60 per cent of adults they spoke to in Britain would prefer an ocean without sharks.

Sadly, 30 per cent of the EU’s sharks and 50 per cent of the UK’s sharks are listed as threatened, with some reported to have declined by 99 per cent.

That’s why, the charity says, it’s time to fall in love with and appreciate these wonderful creatures. Here are some of the amazing sharks we have in our very own waters…

The basking shark – the second largest fish in the world is around 8m long, but can grow to 12m (that’s bigger than the average bus!).

The shortfin mako shark – the fastest shark in the world can travel at 35mph (56km/h), or even faster in short bursts. To compare, the best Olympic swimmers can only average around 5-6mph (8-10km/h)!

The thresher shark – uses its long tail to whip and stun fish.

The blue shark – which has a pearl-like, blue colouring on the top half of its body.

First News has teamed up with the Bite-Back charity to bring you an exclusive competition and resource pack later this year, so keep an eye out for it.

YOUR NEWS

Young people! Send us your news and photos to [email protected] and have your story published on this page and, perhaps, in First News too.

FOSSIL FIND

By Eleanor

My family and I went to stay in a chalet in West Sussex, and we found a fossil on the beach!

We love walking our dog on the beach and searching for sea glass and shells, but we got a surprise when we found this rock with fossils in it.

My mum said that lots of people have found fossils in the area, but we didn’t think we would find one. We are not sure what it is and have asked lots of online fossil groups and looked on the Natural History Museum’s Fossil Explorer app.

Some people have said it is a gastropod, so a kind of snail, that is from around 44 million years ago, and others have said the small circles are from a kind of prehistoric urchin.I really hope we can find out exactly what they are. The same weekend, my cousin found a shark tooth on the beach too. Finding the fossil and the shark tooth has made me, my sister and my cousin even more excited about going for walks and beachcombing.

DIARY DATES

Wimbledon finals

July 9-10

Get out the strawberries and cream as it’s the finals of the famous tennis tournament this weekend! Who will be crowned the winners? Tune in to find out!

Shark Awareness Day

July 14

Celebrate these amazing animals and the important part they play in our oceans.

WOW!

The population in England and Wales grew to 59.6 million in 2021, new figures have shown. That’s an increase of more than 3.5 million people since 2011, and the highest since records began!

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