40 Shark Quotes About the Revered Predator of The Ocean
Sharks are ferocious predators of the deep blue ocean that have captivated our attention. As hunters of the seas, they represent fear and danger, but other cultures also associate them with courage and strength. We have hand-picked the shark quotes below that can help us appreciate their beauty and power and eradicate our fear of them.
Sharks have been on earth for over 450 million years and can range in size from the tiny pygmy shark to the gigantic whale shark. By eating the weak and the sick, sharks are indicators of a healthy ocean system despite the many tales and cultural references portraying them in a bad light.
After reading this article, to learn more about these apex predators of the sea, read up on the different types of sharks and check out our ocean facts.
Quick links to our selection of shark quotes:
Best Shark Quotes
Sharks have a variety of remarkable adaptations that help them survive in the ocean environment. First is their streamlined body shape, which helps them swim quickly and efficiently.
To help them find food, they have electroreceptor organs called Ampullae of Lorenzini that allow them to sense electromagnetic fields and temperature shifts in the ocean. Studies have even discovered evidence that the meteorite that eradicated all dinosaurs on earth has left them unscathed1, thanks to their ability to repair DNA damage.
All these adaptations and many more are essential for these wild marine mammals' survival for millions of years. Appreciate them more as you read our best shark quotes below.
"Sharks are beautiful animals, and if you're lucky enough to see lots of them, that means that you're in a healthy ocean. You should be afraid if you are in the ocean and don't see sharks."
- Sylvia Earle
"I just believe that sometimes in life you're like a shark—you have to keep moving through water; otherwise, you'll die."
- Michelle Ryan
"Remove the predators, and the whole ecosystem begins to crash like a house of cards. As the sharks disappear, the predator-prey balance dramatically shifts, and the health of our oceans declines."
- Brian Skerry
"Humans are a much greater threat to sharks than sharks are to humans."
- Nicholas Boxer
"For a photographer, sharks are a stirring subject, possessing a perfect blend of grace and power"
- Brian Skerry
Shark Quotes About The Apex Predator Of The Ocean
Shark's ancestors were the gigantic megalodon, which became extinct 3.6 million years ago. Although smaller in size, sharks still hold their apex predator position to this day.
They typically feast on various fish and marine mammals, such as seals and dolphins, after hunting them with a combination of stealth, speed, and agility. They often circle their prey and launch at up to 46 miles per hour. And their razor-sharp teeth, which regenerate every two weeks, paired with their powerful jaws with 4,000 psi bite force2, greet their poor prey.
Even if they are vicious predators, sharks happen to be one of the keystone species, which means if they go extinct, no other species can replace their role. Therefore, massive changes like an increasing population of invasive species could take over. Other keystone species are bees, beavers, wolves, and elephants.
"Without sharks, you take away the apex predator of the ocean, and you destroy the entire food chain."
- Peter Benchley
"Sharks are the lions of the sea. They glamorize the oceanic glory."
- Munia Khan
"Sharks are among the most perfectly constructed creatures in nature. Some forms have survived for 200 million years."
- Eugenie Clark
"Sharks are intelligent creatures."
- Ronnie Christensen
"The shark is the apex predator in the sea. Sharks have molded evolution for 450 million years. All fish species that are prey to the sharks have had their behavior, their speed, their camouflage, their defense mechanisms molded by the shark."
- Paul Watson
"The shark heart slows down in the cold, just as our own heart would. But what sets it apart is where our heart would simply stop, the salmon shark keeps on ticking."
- Barbara Block
"Pigs eat more tuna than all the planet's sharks combined."
- Paul Watson
"All sharks were born swimming."
- Rebecca McNutt
"If in shark-infested waters, don’t assume the fin coming toward you is a dolphin."
- Mary Russel
"We provoke a shark every time we enter the water where sharks happen to be, for we forget: The ocean is not our territory, it's theirs."
- Peter Benchley
"Sharks are being driven to extinction because people want to eat their fins and their flesh"
- Barbara Block
"There is this sweet spot in time when we have an opportunity to stop killing sharks and tunas and swordfish and other wildlife in the sea before it's too late."
- Sylvia Earle
Quotes About Sharks And The Fear We Have Of Them
A plethora of media portrays sharks as the evil monster of the ocean, from Spielberg's Jaws to numerous books sharing shark attack stories. As a result, people have acquired an irrational fear of sharks or galeophobia as its technically known.
If you have one, you should hear this out. According to the International Shark Attack File, there were only 73 unprovoked shark attacks worldwide in 2021, compared to the millions of people who go into the ocean. In fact, the probability of being struck by lightning is higher than being eaten by a shark. And unfortunately, we kill sharks a million times more due to their meat, fins, skin, and internal organs. Therefore, sharks should fear us instead.
If you still have fear, remember to stay still and stop splashing when in shark-infested water. After reading the shark quotes below, let's take steps to protect these marine animals.
"Sharks have a bad rep, but the truth is you have a greater chance of a vending machine falling on you than you do a shark attack."
- Katy Lee
"Sharks don't target human beings, and they certainly don't hold grudges."
- Peter Benchley
"The chances of that shark attacking you in any way is so remote. The sea should be enjoyed, the animals in it. When you see a shark underwater, you should say, ‘How lucky I am to see this beautiful animal in his environment!"
- Eugenie Clark
"Turns out, I couldn't catch them—or even get close to them. I realized that sharks are amazing, beautiful animals who have absolutely no interest in checking me out."
- Malin Akerman
"I don't think there's such a thing as an unprovoked shark attack."
- Peter Benchley
"Many people continue to think of sharks as man-eating beasts. Sharks are enormously powerful and wild creatures, but you're more likely to be killed by your kitchen toaster than a shark!"
- Ted Danson
"I have a ridiculous fear of sharks but I'd jump in the water in a second for an amazing role."
- Kate Mara
"People don't need to be scared. I tickle sharks. I do, when they swim by."
- Michael Muller
"One of them hissed-not the hiss of a cat, a long, steady tone-more like the hiss of air escaping the rubber raft that is all that lies between you and a dark sea full of sharks, the hiss of your life leaking out at the seams."
- Christopher Moore
"You know the most dangerous thing in the water? A shark fart."
- Gary Busey
Motivational Shark Quotes To Push You To Swim
Sharks are a powerful reminder of the importance of moving forward, even when things get tough. Like some of their species, which must keep swimming to stay alive, we must also keep pushing forward toward our goals to remain afloat.
Contrary to popular belief, only a tiny fraction of shark species need to swim to breathe or ram ventilation. Some species doing these are great white sharks, whale sharks, and mako sharks. On the other hand, most of the shark family that is non-active swimmers breathe by buccal pumping, using their cheek muscles to suck water through their gills.
Just like their two breathing methods, we should put all our effort into hitting our goals and give ourselves time for rest. So read our shark quotes below for motivation.
"In a world full of fish, be the shark."
- Unknown
"If size really mattered, the whale, not the shark, would rule the waters."
- Matshona Dhliwayo
"By nature, I keep moving, man. My theory is, be the shark. You've just got to keep moving. You can't stop."
- Brad Pitt
"I'm always swimming forward like a shark. You just keep going and you don't rest."
- Nile Rodgers
"Passion, for me, is like a shark – it never stops moving."
- Jack White
"When you retire, you don't get fat and old. C'mon: it's like a shark. Sharks never stop swimming; that's when they die. You gotta keep moving."
- Reggie Miller
"Are you a man with a conscience, or just a shark who will die when you stop moving forward?"
- Roderick Vincent
Other Metaphorical Shark Quotes To Use Everyday
Unlike the previous section, describing someone as a shark could also be negative. According to Collins Dictionary, a shark is a person who victimizes others by swindling or cheating. For example, a loan shark describes someone who lends money illegally with absurdly high-interest rates and uses violence to extort payment from frightened people. Next, to swim with sharks means you are in the wrong crowd. Remember that these are just words that don't truthfully represent the shark in the wild and its role in the ecosystem.
After reading the rest of our shark quotes below, discover other phrases that use the ferocious marine predator.
"Sharks have been swimming the oceans unchallenged for thousands of years; chances are, the species that roam corporate waters will prove just as hardy."
- Eric Gelman
"For an actor, it's great fun to play one of these hungry white sharks. Audiences love to hate them."
- Michael Douglas
"There are no true friends in politics. We are all sharks circling, and waiting, for traces of blood to appear in the water."
- Alan Clark
"Live every week like it's shark week."
- Tracy Morgan
"I'm just a simple guy swimming in a sea of sharks."
- Don Johnson
"I try my best to avoid the sharks of life, but I have had my share of experiences with them, and in those cases I just have to handle them accordingly. But I do not swim with sharks ... sharks swim with sharks."
- Rihanna
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