04 May Sharks officially crowned the scariest sea creature
Brits have voted sharks as the scariest sea creature, according to new national research, with less than 1% of the UK thinking the beasts are cute.
More than half of the nation (52%) admit to fearing sharks the most out of all ocean-dwelling creatures, ranking them above jellyfish (20%), giant squid (11%) and stingrays (5%) when it comes to fear-factor.
More than one in ten Brits (12%) joke that they would feed their neighbour to the sharks, with another 9% choosing their boss for shark bait, according to the national poll conducted by SEA LIFE Loch Lomond.
Despite so many of us having a fear of sharks, experts at SEA LIFE point out that they are misunderstood creatures who are not driven by blood lust like the movies depict.
Visitors can get a real insight on sharks at SEA LIFE Loch Lomond and even feed some of the majestic creatures, including black tip, white tip and bonnethead sharks.
As well as SEA LIFE offering unmissable first-hand experiences and education about sharks, it is also proud to be coordinating the European Black Tip Reef Shark breeding programme.
The SEA LIFE Trust is also actively working with the Shark Trust to campaign against unsustainable shark fishing in EU waters.
At the other end of the scale, Brits have voted otters the cutest aquatic animal, with almost half (44%) ranking them above seals (26%), turtles (16%), octopuses (2.8%) and other sea creatures based on cuteness.
Despite this, only three in five Brits (63%) have ever seen an otter in real life – but Brits can get their fix of furry cuteness at SEA LIFE Loch Lomond, which is home to three Asian short-clawed otters.
The adorable trio, named Lily, Pickle and Cub, are a firm favourite with both visitors and staff at the centre.
Like the rest of their species, they are social and playful by nature, spending most of the day on land with their family, playing, grooming, resting, and sleeping.
Visitors can also listen out for their voices, as they can make at least 12 different sounds to communicate, including alarm, greeting, and mating calls.
Kathryn Adam, General Manager at SEA LIFE Loch Lomond said: “It’s no surprise that otters have topped the cuteness chart for aquatic animals, with our very own Asian short-clawed otters Lily, Pickle and Cub definitely living up to the reputation of their species.
“It is a massive shame, however, that so many Brits have never seen an otter in the flesh and so we encourage people to come down to the site to visit these adorable creatures.
“Here at SEA LIFE Loch Lomond we are also passionate about changing the negative perception of sharks, working towards conservation efforts and helping visitors learn more about the misunderstood species, which is why we offer VIP shark experiences, so our guests can get up close and personal with the jaw-some creatures.”
For further information and to book your visit to SEA LIFE Loch Lomond to meet the three otters, visit: https://www.visitsealife.com/loch-lomond/
