Surfing Practice Expository Essay Essays

Surfing Practice Expository Essay Essays Surfing Practice Expository Essay Essay Surfing Practice Expository Essay Essay Essay Topic: Expository Practice Essay – Academic Writing Many people say surfing isn’t a sport, it’s a lifestyle – but, it’s more than that. From the moment you first step in the ocean to the day you die it is a part of you. It becomes the way you think and what plays across your mind when you are in that subconscious state between awake and asleep. It has an affair with your emotions and embeds itself in the depths of your heart. You cannot get rid of the ocean once it’s made its mark on you. It is unlike any other addiction on the planet. They say too much of anything can kill you, but, when it comes to surfing – you can never get enough. Surfing began in the islands of Hawaii, the first ever report written by Lieutenant James King of Captain James Cook’s ship Discovery. In this report he described the art of surfing over two pages in the narrative portion of Captain Cook’s journals. Surfing was an extremely spiritual and important part of Hawaiian life, so much so, that places were named after particular surfing incedents. When the Calvinistic Christian Missionaries arrived in Hawaii the number of surfers in the water declined rapidly as the missionaries claimed the sport, amongst others, was â€Å"Against the laws of God†. For years it was rare to see a surfer in the water, the surfing culture had almost died out. However, in 1907 Jack London a famous author took a vacation in Hawaii – staying in Waikiki – and was introduced to surfing by Alexander Hume Ford and George Freeth. Being an author, it was no surprise when Jack wrote of his surfing experience in his book entitled A Royal Sport: Surfing in Waikiki. This new publicity breathed life into the dying sport – and not long after – George Freeth was asked to put on a wave riding demonstration in California, bringing surfing to America. Now days, surfing is a huge sport. There are approximately 23 million surfers worldwide, a stark contrast to the late 1800’s in Hawaii. Surf companies are popping up all over the place – their main aim to provide surf equipment and apparel to the surf community and those who fancy the style. Surfing has grown, not only as a leisure sport, but also in competition. Currently, there are 34 men and 17 women competing on the WCT (World Championship Tour), and millions more taking to the water in small town events and larger professional or amateur competitions. Surfing is also making its way into the film industry, with surf photography and documentaries becoming increasingly popular. With all the hype and inflation of surfing, it will still remain a magical and adrenaline pumping experience. There are many surfers who surf for the pure joy of being out in the ocean, at one with rising and falling swells, no matter how far it is extracted from its humble, spiritual beginnings in Hawaii. These surfers are known as soul surfers – and it is these people that will continue to keep surfing alive for generations to come.

Interesting Bull Shark Facts (Carcharhinus leucas)

Interesting Bull Shark Facts (Carcharhinus leucas) The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas)  is an aggressive shark found throughout the world in warm, shallow waters along coasts, in estuaries, in lakes, and in rivers. Although bull sharks have been found inland as far as the Mississippi River in Illinois, they arent a true freshwater species. The bull shark is listed as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Essential Facts Bull sharks get their common name both from their appearance and their behavior. The shark is large and stocky, with a broad, flat snout and an unpredictable, aggressive nature. Females are larger than males. A typical female bull shark is 2.4 m (7.9 ft) long and weighs 130 kg (290 lb), while a male averages 2.25 m (7.4 ft) and 95 kg (209 lb). The largest recorded bull shark was a 4.0 m (13.1 ft) female. The bite force of a bull shark is 5914 Newtons, which is the highest for any fish, weight for weight.There are 43 elasmobranch species found in freshwater. Sand sharks, sawfish, skates, and stingrays are other species that can enter rivers. Bull sharks are capable of osmoregulation, which means they can control their internal osmotic pressure when external salinity changes. This also makes them euryhaline (able to adapt to different salinities) and diadromous (readily able to swim between fresh and salt water). Bulls sharks give birth to four to ten live young in fresh water. Over ti me, the sharks gain a tolerance for salinity. Newborn or young sharks are usually found in fresh water, while older sharks tend to live in salt water. Young bull sharks flow with the tides to conserve energy needed for movement and osmoregulation. However, bull sharks can live their entire lives in fresh water. Adult life in fresh water is not ideal, as most of the sharks food lives in the sea. Bull sharks mainly eat bony fish and smaller sharks, including bull sharks. As opportunistic predators, they also eat terrestrial mammals, birds, turtles, crustaceans, echinoderms, and dolphins. They use the bump-and-bite strategy to attack prey, typically hunting in murky water. Usually, bull sharks are solitary hunters, although they may hunt in pairs to trick prey. Although bull sharks hunt in murky water, they can see color and use it to seek prey. They can be attracted to bright yellow gear, for example. The sharks hunt both during the day and at night.Adult sharks mate in late summer or early autumn. It takes 10 years for a shark to reach maturity. In the mating ritual, the male bites the females tail until she turns upside down, allowing him to copulate. Mature females often have bite marks and scratches.Bull sharks are apex predators, so their main threat is mankind. However, they may be attacked by great white sharks, tiger sharks, and crocodiles. The average life span of a bull shark is 16 years. How Dangerous Is the Bull Shark? The bull shark is believed to be responsible for most shark attacks in shallow water, even though  the International Shark Attack File  (ISAF) cites the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) as  responsible for the largest number of bites to humans. The ISAF notes great white bites are often correctly identified, but its difficult to tell bull sharks apart from other members of the family  Carcharhinidae  (the requiem sharks, which include the blacktip, whitetip, and grey reef shark). In any case, the great white, bull shark, and tiger shark are the big three where shark bites are concerned. All three are found in areas frequented by humans, have teeth designed to shear, and are large and aggressive enough to pose a threat. How to Recognize a Bull Shark If you see a shark in fresh water, chances are good its a bull shark. While the genus Glyphis includes three species of river sharks, they are rare and have only been documented in parts of Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Guinea. Bull sharks are gray on top and white underneath. They have a small, bullish snout. This helps camouflage them so they are harder to see viewed from below and blend in with the riverbed or sea floor when viewed from above. The first dorsal fin is larger than the second one and is angled rearward. The caudal fin is lower and longer than that of other sharks. Tips for Telling Sharks Apart If youre swimming in the surf, its not a smart idea to get close enough to identify a shark, but if you see one from a boat or land, you may want to know what type it is: Sandbar sharks also have rounded snouts, but their dorsal fins are larger and more triangular than those of bull sharks.Blacktip sharks are shaped much like bull sharks, but they have pointed snouts and white anal fins. Note juvenile bull sharks may have black-tipped fins, so coloration is not a good way to distinguish these species.Lemon sharks have blunt snouts, but they are yellow-green to olive-gray in color and both their dorsal fins are about the same size. Lemon shark dorsal fins angle back like those of a bull shark.Spinner sharks have pointed shouts, black tipping on their anal fins, and a band of Z-shaped lines on their sides.Tiger sharks have a dark stripe on their sides.Great white sharks are very large (10-15 ft long), have black eyes, and pointed snouts. Their coloration is similar to the bull shark (gray on top, white underneath).