The Scariest Questions from Andy Casagrande s Shark Week Takeover

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Jul 29, 2019

The Discovery Channel has done it again-half the population will likely never return to the ocean after this year's iteration of the annual Shark Week. The stacked, week-long lineup is as terrifying as it is intriguing, as is the mindset of longtime GoPro Family member and Shark Week veteran Andy Casagrande.

Andy is known for his fearless encounters with some of the ocean's deadliest predators. So in honor of this year's shark week, rather than pit him against a Great White or Hammerhead, we put him face-to-face with the Internet.

That's right, Andy took over the GoPro Instagram page to answer some of our follower's burning questions about all things sharks. What lurks beneath isn't nearly as scary as some of the thoughts you all shared about sharks.

GoPro Follower: On average, how long does a White Shark live for? Also, is there any animal that could take out a White Shark?

Andy: 70-plus years is the current longevity estimate on White Sharks, and Orcas eat them for breakfast.

Can sharks camouflage?

Yes, some sharks are known to have the ability to change their pigmentations based on their environments.

Are some species of sharks more aggressive than others? Do sharks see humans as food?

Statistically certain shark species have a higher percentage of negative encounters with humans. Aggression is a hard thing to objectify. However, Great White, Tiger sharks and Bull sharks have the highest incidence of negative encounters with humans.

What's been your closest call?

Diving in murky water in South Africa before sunset at a seal colony. White Shark snuck up on me and thought I was a seal.

Do you think Great White Sharks naturally would get all those marks on their nose or are they only from repeatedly bashing them into boats and shark cages for conservation?

Yes, even White Sharks that are not found in cage diving areas look gnarly with battle wounds from taking on smart and powerful prey. Baited cage dives in California are illegal, yet those are some of the most scarred up sharks on earth.

What is the most unusual social behavior you have seen in any shark species?

These two great white shark brothers that I met in Australia. They blew my mind because they never seemed to leave each other's side and stuck with each other as if they were inseparable. I have never seen that before and I believe they are true blood brothers.

Out of all the types of sharks you haven't encountered, what shark do you want to swim with?

MegaMouth and Goblin Sharks.

In a lot of your posts, sharks get really close to you and your GoPro. Does your GoPro give off an electrical field or is it just because it is small and they want to check it out?

They are primarily just investigating the camera because its small and easy to check out. Human bodies give off electrical fields, so do boat engines, so do metal cages, etc. So I think the sharks like GoPro cameras just like you do.

Not sure if you know about the situation and discussions currently happening around the Cape Cod area of Massachusetts, but if you do, what do you feel is a happy medium/solution to the concerns of the residents there?

So many things from underwater signals to nets to the use of drones have been proposed.

In my opinion, humans must adapt their behavior in order to coexist with large predators that live in oceans that they have always lived in. The seals have increased, and thus, the sharks have come back. Sharks and seals will not change their behavior, but humans can make changes and intelligent decisions to coexist. I do not believe in culling or nets; however, there are some cool new technological sonar/drone solutions that are being investigated as we speak. Check out Sharks of the Badlands during Shark Week and you'll get to know what I'm talking about.

Do you love sharks or your wife more?

I plead the fifth!

LINK:	https://gopro.com/en/gb/news/shark-week-with-andy-casagrande...
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