What Are Sharks?

🕐 5 min 24 sec 👦 Ages 6–8 🌍 English
Join Koko and Owlo as they explore the fascinating world of sharks, sparking curiosity and learning about these incredible ocean creatures.
Understand what sharks are Learn about shark characteristics Encourage curiosity and questions
📖 Story Script
                    Koko:
                    Owlo! Owlo! I have the most exciting news. We went to the aquarium yesterday, and I saw the biggest fish I have ever seen in my whole life!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Oh my goodness, Koko! That does sound exciting. Tell me everything. What did it look like?
                
                    Koko:
                    It was huge and grey, and it had this giant mouth full of teeth. The sign said it was a shark. I could not stop staring at it!
                
                    Owlo:
                    A shark! Now that is one of the ocean's most fascinating creatures. Did seeing it up close make you curious about sharks?
                
                    Koko:
                    So curious! I kept asking Mom questions, but she did not know all the answers. She said I should ask you!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Your mom is very wise. I love that she encourages you to keep asking questions. So, what is the big question on your mind?
                
                    Koko:
                    What even are sharks? Like, are they just really scary fish, or are they something else?
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is a wonderful place to start, Koko. Sharks are actually fish, but they are a very special kind of fish.
                
                    Koko:
                    Special how? They looked pretty different from the little fish in the other tanks.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Great observation! Most fish have bones inside their bodies, just like you and I do. But sharks have something different. Their skeleton is made entirely of cartilage.
                
                    Koko:
                    Cart-il-age? What is that?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Cartilage is a tough but flexible material. Feel the tip of your nose right now. That bendy part? That is cartilage!
                
                    Koko:
                    Whoa, so a shark's whole body is like a giant bendy nose? That is so weird and cool at the same time.
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is one way to think about it! The cartilage makes sharks lighter and helps them move through the water very smoothly.
                
                    Koko:
                    What about all those teeth? The shark at the aquarium had so many. It was a little scary, honestly.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Sharks are famous for their teeth. Here is something amazing though. Sharks can grow new teeth their whole lives. If one falls out, a new one grows back.
                
                    Koko:
                    Wait, they just keep getting new teeth forever? I lost one tooth and it took so long to grow back. That is not fair!
                
                    Owlo:
                    It is pretty remarkable, isn't it? Some sharks can go through thousands of teeth in a lifetime. Their teeth are always sharp and ready.
                
                    Koko:
                    Thousands! Okay, I want to learn more. Can we go to the library and find a book about sharks?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Here we go. I found our best book on ocean creatures. Let's see what it says about where sharks live.
                
                    Koko:
                    It says sharks live in every ocean in the world! Even the cold ones near the ice?
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is right. Different shark species have adapted to live in very different places. Some love warm tropical waters, and some survive in very cold seas.
                
                    Koko:
                    How many kinds of sharks are there even? I thought there was just one kind.
                
                    Owlo:
                    There are more than five hundred species of sharks. They come in all shapes and sizes. The whale shark is the biggest fish in the entire ocean.
                
                    Koko:
                    Five hundred! And what is the smallest one? Is it still scary looking?
                
                    Owlo:
                    The dwarf lantern shark is so small it could fit right in your hand. It even glows in the dark deep underwater.
                
                    Koko:
                    A tiny glowing shark that fits in your hand? That is the most amazing thing I have ever heard. I need to see one someday.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Sharks have been swimming in our oceans for an incredibly long time, Koko. They existed even before the dinosaurs.
                
                    Koko:
                    Before the dinosaurs? So sharks are like, really really really old?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Sharks have been around for over four hundred million years. That makes them one of the oldest surviving animals on Earth. Scientists call animals like that living fossils.
                
                    Koko:
                    Living fossils. I like that. So sharks are survivors! They must be doing something right.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Exactly. And they are incredibly important to the ocean. Sharks help keep the ocean healthy by maintaining balance among other sea creatures.
                
                    Koko:
                    So they are not just scary. They are actually important and helpful for the ocean. I feel a little bad for being scared of them now.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Being cautious around sharks is perfectly sensible. But understanding them helps us respect them instead of just fearing them. That is what learning does for us.
                
                    Koko:
                    Okay Owlo, I think I actually learned a lot today. Should I try to put it all together?
                
                    Koko:
                    Sharks are a special kind of fish with skeletons made of cartilage, which is that bendy stuff in your nose. They keep growing new teeth their whole lives, which is honestly a little unfair. There are over five hundred kinds of sharks, from giant whale sharks to tiny glowing ones that fit in your hand. They have been around longer than dinosaurs, and they help keep the whole ocean healthy and balanced. So basically, sharks are ancient, toothy, bendy-nosed ocean heroes. And next time, I really want to learn about the whale shark specifically, because biggest fish in the ocean? Yes please.
                
                    Owlo:
                    That was a perfect summary, Koko. I could not have said it better myself. Your curiosity today made this one of my favourite lessons in a long time.