# Why do so many ocean survival stories feature shark terror elements when shark attacks are rare? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 23, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-ocean-survival-stories-feature-shark-terror-elements-when-shark-attacks-are-rare/791957 "2017-07-23T17:45:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-ocean-survival-stories-feature-shark-terror-elements-when-shark-attacks-are-rare/791957/22 "2017-07-24T10:45:28Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > The majority of open ocean survival stories that I have read or watched featured the fear of shark attacks as a major threat. Those who don’t survive don’t tell stories. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-ocean-survival-stories-feature-shark-terror-elements-when-shark-attacks-are-rare/791957/23 "2017-07-24T13:08:24Z")
> [@Hocus\_Pocus](#): > > Might have changed the name to avoid a shark attack. Or lawyer attack; copyright holders can be pretty fussy. Open up an EDM venue with the name Mickey Mouse Club and watch what happens. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-ocean-survival-stories-feature-shark-terror-elements-when-shark-attacks-are-rare/791957/24 "2017-07-24T15:27:15Z")
Because as the old saying goes, ‘_Everybody loves a Shark_’ ? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-ocean-survival-stories-feature-shark-terror-elements-when-shark-attacks-are-rare/791957/25 "2017-07-24T15:40:37Z")
Sharks circling humans in the water and bumping rafts aren’t as rare sharks actually biting people. And if you’ve had to survive at sea you’re going to remember seeing sharks even if they don’t bite you. Getting hit by lightning is pretty rare also but seeing and hearing lightning strikes nearby is much less rare, and quite memorable. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-ocean-survival-stories-feature-shark-terror-elements-when-shark-attacks-are-rare/791957/26 "2017-07-24T16:33:37Z")
Related news from the Washington Post: [Shark weak: Michael Phelps loses race to computer-generated great white](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/07/23/shark-weak-michael-phelps-loses-race-to-computer-generated-great-white/) ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-ocean-survival-stories-feature-shark-terror-elements-when-shark-attacks-are-rare/791957/27 "2017-07-24T17:04:10Z")
Even if every ocean survivor story ever told was a completely true story you would still see a preponderance of shark stories. Stories where nothing unusual happens don’t make for good stories. ---
**Author:** ![ssgenius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@ssgenius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ssgenius)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-ocean-survival-stories-feature-shark-terror-elements-when-shark-attacks-are-rare/791957/28 "2017-07-24T23:12:18Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I’m not a shark expert, so maybe I’m wrong. It seems rather naive to describe such bumping as ‘playful’, when it could just as easily be the shark equivalent of ‘playing with your food’. Could be but the description in their blog was a bump, not a bite. Needless to say, after the bumps, they would get back into the boat. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-ocean-survival-stories-feature-shark-terror-elements-when-shark-attacks-are-rare/791957.md?page=1)