Kiss a Shark Week, celebrated in the fourth full week of January, is a seven–day affair that showcases the shark for all the right reasons. The day aims to educate people about sea creatures and promote efforts to save them. The week-long holiday is supported by various influential organizations and people and is often paired with various shark-themed celebrations.
History of Kiss a Shark Week
We might not have much to share with you about the history of Kiss a Shark Week, but we sure do have loads to say about the fish. Sharks seem to have been around for a couple of million centuries, 400 million to be precise. Fossils found in oceans in the U.S. and Australia seem to verify their theory.
Sharks are essentially older than dinosaurs since those guys came into the world only 200 million years ago! The reconstructed shark doesn’t look much like any shark we know, but many historians believe they are the ancestors of the modern shark species.
Shark fossils from some 380 million years ago show us that sharks back then are identical to some existing shark species. These massive predators have always been at the top of the food chain, except for the dinosaur age, when the shark took a back seat.
Although the shark made it through 5 mass extinction events, they are still near extinct today. This is primarily because we have been exploiting the seas, depleting a natural resource. This is one of the reasons why this holiday was created, to educate, protect and conserve sharks.
Kiss a Shark Week timeline
An extinction event kills approximately 75% of all Earth’s species, leaving sharks at the top of the food chain, causing the formation of several new shark species.
The research outlines the true nature of the shark, ruling out misconceptions against them, thus she was nicknamed ‘Shark Lady.’
Steven Speilberg's thriller is a huge hit but creates fear about the water and sharks among the general public; Speilberg later attempts to dispel the incorrect view of sharks as human hunters.
Video footage captures a great white shark swimming while asleep.
Kiss a Shark Week FAQs
What is Kiss a Shark Week?
Every January, in the fourth full week, the U.S. observes Kiss a Shark Week. It is meant to spread awareness about sharks and their various species.
Can you kiss a shark?
Don’t push your affections where they aren’t wanted. Kissing sharks should be avoided at all costs; instead, show the species some love by investing in conservation efforts or simply educating people about sharks.
How often is Shark Week?
The Discovery Channel program runs annually for an entire week. It features shark-based programming.
How to Celebrate Kiss a Shark Week
Watch a shark movie or two
Binge on a few shark classics such as documentaries or movies that shed a positive light on the species.
Visit a shark
Know an aquarium or zoo that takes care of sharks, give them a visit over shark week, and don’t forget to take your friends and family along as well. Make it a special, educational event.
Show sharks some love
Although kissing a shark would be great, that would require nerves of steel and expertise, so to show sharks some love on this day, you can donate time, efforts, or financial aid to a shark cause.
5 Fun Facts About Sharks
Sharks don't have bones
Instead, they have cartilaginous tissues (a.k.a. the clear, gristly things your ears and tips of the nose are made of); the lack of bones makes them lighter and helps them be more buoyant.
Their skin feels like sandpaper
A shark's skin feels like sandpaper because it is made up of small, teeth-like structures (dermal denticles) that point in one direction.
Blue sharks are...blue
Blue on top and snowy white at the bottom; no other shark has that brilliant blue hue.
Sharks can go into a trace
Flip them over, and they enter a trance-like state called 'tonic immobility;’ scientists use this flipping-over technique while working on live sharks.
Sharks reproduce in different ways
They could be oviparous (egg-laying) or viviparous (live-bearing), depending on the species of shark.
Why We Love Kiss a Shark Week
Sharks seem friendlier
Dangerous they might be, but we have new levels of respect and adoration for creatures who have survived five extinction-level events.
We never knew so much about sharks
And every bit of information is very welcome, especially if it helps us save these fish.
There's an awareness about shark conservation
Sharks are a crucial part of biodiversity, they predate us and should be treated as a necessity, not a predator. Spreading awareness can expand our understanding of these creatures, accelerating shark conservation efforts.
Kiss a Shark Week dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | January 23 | Sunday |
| 2023 | January 22 | Sunday |
| 2024 | January 21 | Sunday |
| 2025 | January 26 | Sunday |
| 2026 | January 25 | Sunday |
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