Demon Fish: Our Fear and Fascination with Sharks

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Hour 2

As people flock to the beach to sun, swim and surf this summer, we thought we’d take a look at one of the ocean’s most ancient and mysterious creatures – the shark.  Ever since Jaws, few of us can step into the ocean without, for a moment, thinking about sharks. But while we may fear the ocean’s top predator, sharks have far more cause to fear us. Shark species all over the world are in decline from overfishing and warming oceans. In China, the hunger for shark fin soup is responsible for the slaughter of millions of sharks every year, killed for their fins alone.  Washington Post environmental reporter JULIET EILPERIN traveled the globe to understand our fear and fascination with sharks.  From cage diving with great whites and swimming with the gentle giant whale shark, Eilperin chronicles her adventures and the science of sharks in her book, Demon Fish: Travels Through the Hidden World of Sharks.

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[audio: 061711_110630.mp3]

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