If you’re a shark movie fan, you’ve probably watched more than one scene in which a shark roars as it attacks its prey. But according to shark expert Greg Skomal, such a sound is just Hollywood magic.
Like most fish, sharks do not have vocal cords, so it would be impossible for them to let out a roar, according to Skomal. Vocal chords are used by land animals to make sounds through the air, while sharks and other fish spend most or all of their time underwater. Some fish do make sounds, but by other means more suited to communicating underwater, he said.
An actual shark attack — at the surface at least — would be far quieter than what you see in the movies, according to Skomal. You might hear some splashing, but that would likely be it.
Of course, if the shark’s prey was a human, you’d likely hear some screaming, Skomal said. But shark attacks on humans are rare — approximately 1 in 11.5 million, according to USA Today.
To stay aware of sharks near you, download the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app, which sends real-time alerts when sharks are off the coast of Massachusetts.
