Aaron Cohen, of the Unlikely Words blog and resident of Somerville, MA, was kind enough to send in some of his recent shark-related work, including an interview with George Burgess of the International Shark Attack File. We’ve excerpted a bit below and linked to both parts of the interview:
George Burgess is the director of the International Shark Attack File, which tracks shark attacks all over the world. If a shark bites a person somewhere on this planet, Burgess and his crew track down all of the information and keep it safe in the File. I tracked Burgess down a couple weeks ago and he graciously agreed to answer some questions.
Is there something specific that drew you to your study of sharks and your work with sharks?
I guess, like many people I grew up with a fascination for sharks, having grown up on the coast line. I think most people are excited about sharks on some level. The difference was that I was able to take that fascination with sharks and interest in sharks and turn it into a career.
If someone is swimming and sees a shark, what’s the best thing to do?
Well, it’s pretty obvious now to get out of the water. And it seems obvious, but a lot of people don’t, especially surfers who are very much glued to their activity and more prone to take risks.
Interview With A Shark Expert, Part One
Interview With A Shark Expert, Part Two