Sharks Close-Up

Snatch! A great white leaps out of the water to catch a seal. How did it get its dinner? It used its superpowers! From a super sense of smell to super speed, a shark's body is built for one thing-hunting. Its nostrils can smell some substances 10,000 times better than people! Low light? No problem! A shark's eyes see well in dim light. A shark can even detect electricity that comes from prey. Readers will find out how these abilities and more have given sharks their place at the top of the ocean food chain.

Great white, bull, and tiger sharks are some of today's most talked-about sharks. But, have you met the sharks of yesterday? Each prehistoric shark had its own amazing-and sometimes strange-features. The scissor-tooth shark had teeth in a spiral shape. The giant megalodon was about three times the size of a great white. One small prehistoric shark had a big dorsal fin in the shape of an ironing board! Readers will gobble up all the facts about these early ocean hunters and learn how they compare to modern sharks.

The water's fine! Come on in! But, wait-there are sharks in it! Would you swim with sharks? Many people do! Marine biologists swim with sharks to learn more about these top predators. Snorkelers witness whale sharks and spy spotted leopard sharks. Some thrill-seekers even cage dive to get face-to-face with the giant toothy jaws of great whites! Readers will find out how scientists and adventurers alike are getting up close to all kinds of shark species and what they are discovering.