If you want to learn the facts about sharks, don’t turn to the movies or TV shows. A lot of what’s said about sharks is untrue, but it sure makes for excitement on the screen! Since information shared from person to person (and during Shark Week) starts to be believed, we thought it worthwhile to dispel some of the most common untruths and exaggerations.

There’s Just One Kind of Shark

There are believed to be more than 400 different species of sharks, ranging from teeny ones that are under one foot to mammoth ones stretching 40 feet.

Sharks Always Attack People

There may be one billion sharks in the world (we don’t have an accurate count) but there were less than 70 unprovoked shark attacks last year. That means that sharks very rarely strike people — it’s tragic when they do, of course, but the odds are against it.

Every Shark You Meet Will Eat You

Not every species of shark seeks meaty creatures to feast on. The whale, basking, and megamouth sharks are filter feeders that open their mouths and eat whatever flows through. While that’s mostly plankton (small organisms in the water), they will also swallow any teeny fish or fish eggs that get in their path.

Sharks Don’t Eat Boats

They might, but it’s highly unlikely. Sharks may be attracted by the electrical pulses of some boat engines, mistaking the pulsation for the vibrations emitted by some tasty sea critters. Since sharks taste test their prey to see if it’s worth the trouble, a shark might take a bite out of a boat or engine before rejecting it as a meal.

Sharks Live Only in Oceans

While most sharks live in the salty ocean, some species live in fresh water. And the bull shark can actually live in both because its kidneys compensate. So it’s not a given that a lake or a river will always be shark free.

Nothing Can Harm Sharks

People kill sharks mostly to make money. While fishing enterprises often target the sharks, the creatures also get tangled in nets intended to catch other types of marine critters. Climate change and pollution are also destroying shark habitats, making it difficult for sharks to survive.

It Won’t Matter If Sharks Disappear

It certainly would! Sharks are an important part of balancing our ecosystem. The sharks that roam at the top of the food chain keep other marine critter populations in check, making sure that coral reefs and seagrasses aren’t depleted.