Taste

February 4, 2025

Gustation

As a shark bites into an object (prey or otherwise), chemicals are released and attach themselves to chemoreceptors (gustatory sensory cells aka taste buds!) present in the shark’s mouth and throat, these taste buds then send messages to structures (the thalamus and the hypothalamus) located in the shark’s forebrain. The shark will then either accept or reject the object it has bitten. Taste often comes up when human-shark interactions are discussed. The entire consumption of a human by a shark is very rare, most instances are comprised of a single bite and release. Most likely this is because the chemicals detected do not trigger an acceptance signal – perhaps a much higher fat/blubber content is required, or the interpreted signals are too different from their usual prey source.

Shark bites can occur for various reasons including; mistaken identity – surfers looking like seals (although sharks have reasonably well adapted eyesight, studies on the great white shark, have shown that when towing a seal cut-out behind a boat some sharks will still attack), poor water visibility, curiosity, shark dependent (some sharks are more curious/energetic/excitable than others), ill/weak sharks (if a shark is sick or hasn’t eaten for a long time perhaps any prey is better than none). It is important to remember however that by going in the water you are becoming a part of the sharks’ environment, and it is important to respect and accept that.