Why would a shark NOT eat a human?

Question

Surely if a human is there for the taking, why would a shark not eat him or her?

I hear people saying that sharks mistook them for seals but if sharks will eat sea-birds - very small prey - then why would they not want to eat a human?

Answer 1

According to an old joke, sharks won't eat lawyers  -- professional courtesy. Oh, I'm sorry. You said "human", didn't you?

Answer 2

You're right. Sharks are not fussy eaters, so there's no reason why it shouldn't eat a human even though we're not their traditional prey. Given the facts that we give out similar bio-electrical signals as their prey in distress when we're swimming and the blood we shed is attractive to them, they should be gulping people down by the dozen and asking for seconds.

Anecdotal evidence seems to point towards the fact that unlike some of their prey, the people who have survived shark attacks fought back - punching them or poking them in the eye to be released. A shark's sense of self preservation must be acute - not surprising considering they've survived in the oceans for 400 million years against fiercer predators - ever since the dinosaurs ruled the earth.

Edit: That point about sharks sometimes biting swimmers and wandering off before the victim even had a chance to fight back. Are some of them neophobic? I believe rats exhibit neophobic tendencies as well.

Answer 3

Most sharks can't as they're not large enough.

Answer 4

because maybe the shark was the persons brother or sister in another life and they realize that so they spare their lives for they love one another =]]

haha i think thats actually a pretty good answer.

Answer 5

I imagine sharks, like humans, are wary of eating things they've never eaten before.

Answer 6

Sharks like fish, NOT humans.

Answer 7

Well first of all, sharks might not like the smell or taste of humans. For example, most humans like the smell and taste of beef, yet they won't eat other meats like lamb or duck or even liver from a cow.

Secondly, sharks are quite timid, despite the fact that they seem incredibly evil looking/acting. Sharks will avoid anything that threatens to fight back or hurt them when attacked. So if a human manages to punch the shark in the eye (or anywhere to hurt the shark) before being bitten, the shark might just run away.

EDIT: I suppose sharks wouldn't be as picky, but I doubt they would attempt to eat us unless they were really hungry. After all, they don't know that we're not poisonous or that we're actually incapable of doing serious damage to them with just our hands and feet.

Though I would agree that in the event of a shark attack, you would have to be incredibly lucky to get an opportunity to attack the shark before it bit you (unless you are a ninja).

Answer 8

Humans are not common prey. Basically a shark doesnt know what to make of a human so it doesn't eat it. Same with if a hunter came across a strange species in the woods, just because its there doesn't mean he wants to eat it. Sharks have a large enough surpluss of species they can prey on.

Answer 9

Well, when sharks are about to attack a prey, their eyes roll to the back of their head so it makes them blind. So when it cant see and it lunges at you, it just means it mistook you for a seal or fish or turtle or something. When it gets the wrong taste and realize it made a mistake, it just leaves.

Answer 10

Because people don't taste good.  Sharks bite a human and basically spit it out when they realize it is not a sea lion