A series of images featuring a girl born in 1995 calmly diving into deep waters and swimming among various species of sharks has captured the attention of the online community.
Kayla Simmons, dubbed the “most attractive volleyball player in the world,” recently drew attention by posting a series of photos of her swimming with sharks in the ocean.
Moment Kayla Simmons swims among sharks that has made the online community “go wild” (Photo: Instagram).
This activity is seen as a participation in the Shark Week program, which is an annual broadcast on the Discovery Channel.
With over 20,000 likes on Instagram, the photos and videos capture the girl born in 1995 diving effortlessly into deep waters and swimming among various species of sharks.
Many comments have expressed admiration for her bravery, as well as the angles that “highlight” the beauty of this American national. “I am truly overwhelmed by the real beauty of these photos,” one comment stated.
“Oh my, these photos are insane! Why isn’t she afraid of the sharks?” an Instagram user shared.
Kayla Simmons swims very close to a whale shark. This species holds many size records in the animal kingdom (Photo: Instagram).
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), only a few of the over 540 species of sharks are involved in attacks on humans.
In other words, sharks are not as aggressive and ready to “hunt” humans as we often think. When encountering humans, they tend to avoid them.
This is because sharks evolved millions of years before humans appeared, and we (humans) are not a regular part of their diet.
Statistics show that sharks’ preferred prey includes small fish, seals, sea lions, and other marine mammals.
A study published on October 26, 2023, in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface suggests that sharks only attack humans when they “mistake” us for prey, especially great white sharks.
“Great white sharks are often depicted as mindless killers that enjoy eating humans. However, this view seems to be quite inaccurate,” the study states. “Perhaps we just happen to look like their food.”
Shark experts and divers often swim with potentially dangerous sharks without being harmed (Photo: Wiki).
For centuries, sharks have played a crucial role in ocean ecosystems, helping to ensure that prey populations remain healthy and thriving.
Perhaps today, sharks are the ones that should fear humans more, as some species, notably the great white shark, are facing a very high risk of extinction.
The reason behind this is due to hunting and attacks by humans. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the reduction in shark populations has caused certain harm to marine ecosystems and the living organisms within them.
Due to the severe devastation of shark populations, the rate of shark bites has also gradually decreased over the years.
