Why we need sharks: the true nature of the ocean's 'monstrous villains'

Why did dolphins get Flipper while sharks got Jaws? These majestic, diverse animals bring balance to the ocean ecosystem - and they're in grave dangerEach day, as the sun sets over the coral-fringed Raja Ampat Islands in Indonesia, an underwater predator stirs. As predators go, it's not especially big or ferocious - an arm's length from head to tail, with a snuffling, moustachioed snout.What's unique is that it doesn't so much swim along the seabed as walk. Using its four fins as legs, and twisting its spine like a lizard, it can emerge from the water and hold its breath for an hour, strutting across the exposed reef and clambering between tide pools to find prey. Continue reading...