Bloodthirsty and powerful beasts, this is how we often name the marine species called sharks. Sharks are incredibly powerful and strong, not to mention how fast they move as soon as they smell blood, as you may have seen in movies. It is, therefore, that you are instructed not to go in the sea even if you have a minor injury. Even from great distances, sharks are believed to have a superb sense of smell and can detect blood.
But what if you get injured while you are in the water? Well, you must come out immediately. Nevertheless, we all should know how far can sharks smell blood so that we can be well prepared and take precautions.
Sharks are incredible marine creatures with so many amazing attributes and characteristics. With over 500 species dwelling in the world’s oceans, each one of them exhibits different qualities and traits, and the same goes for behavior towards humans.
It’s important to know that all sharks are not giant in size, but they all come in different shapes, colors, and lengths. Similarly, there are sharks such as the great white, which is declared the most dangerous for humans and accounts for the most number of shark attacks. Whereas, there are species that are friendly in nature and can be kept in captivity and prove to be good pets.
Previously, sharks were known to be deaf or blind, but the research has suggested otherwise. Sharks have sharp eyesight, and they are good at listening too. Not only this, but sharks have a 6th sense as well.
Moving forward, when it comes to smell, sharks are known to be very good at it, and it is proven when you look at their hunting abilities. However, we need to see how far they can smell blood, so if we are ever faced with this kind of situation, we can take early action.
How far can sharks smell blood in the water?
It has been observed that sharks are extremely adept at hunting their prey using their olfactory senses, particularly in environments with low visibility. There are also larger olfactory bulb sizes among sharks found in deeper waters.
Some species are clever enough to sense blood in seawater as little as 1 part per million, all because their sense of smell is extremely good. Technically speaking, that’s one drop of blood in an average-sized swimming pool full of water. But from what distance can they perceive?
Blood can be smelled by sharks from up to a quarter mile away in ideal conditions, but it takes time for the smell to reach them. There are certain aspects that affect this, such as the speed, water currents, the direction of flowing water, and, lastly, the shark species itself. As mentioned earlier, each species of shark is made differently, and their capability to smell also differs.
Despite being quite a distance, it’s probably much less than we anticipated, and you should be careful about it when in water.
How do sharks detect the smell of blood?
Understanding shark sense of smell is important since we know sharks can head toward the point where the blood is.
There are two openings on the underside of the shark’s snout that look like nostrils. These openings are known as “nares.” A shark’s nostrils are lined with sensory cells that are called olfactory senses, to be found in the short duct between nasal openings. Shark species exhibit different olfactory bulb sizes based on their reliance on senses like smell and vision to find prey.
Particles spread throughout the water when there is blood in it. Given the water direction, as it reaches the shark, the water flows over the sensory cell, enabling the particles to be detected.
The shark’s brain interprets scents after they are detected, with over half of its brain composed of the olfactory lobes.
As it is interpreted, the shark recognizes if the blood is of the humans or animal and then decides whether or not to target.
So, that’s how sharks get to know about the blood in the water. Anyways, sharks are smart creatures, and they might not be running after just a single drop of blood. Their brain works in a unique way, so you should rather know when shark attacks before you go swimming in the oceans.
Do sharks kill humans?
Bloodthirsty killers, sharks are thought to be killing humans in large numbers. However, it’s not true. Sharks do not like to prey on humans, nor do they attack unnecessarily. Most shark attacks occur as a result of human provocation.
In the same manner, human blood does not attract sharks as much as bleeding fish or any other marine creature.
With that said, you shouldn’t be taking the risk and should come out immediately if you get any wounds underwater.
Conclusion
Sharks can detect blood from a quarter mile away, but the direction of the flowing water and speed can greatly influence how quickly they detect it. But it does not also mean that you remain in the water for a long time in case you are injured.
Nevertheless, sharks are astonishing sea creatures, and it fascinates how they have been keeping the ecosystem in balance.
