Young blue shark swimming off the coast of Galicia, Spain

Chasing waves, making tides. Shark Awareness Day

Sharks have been around for over 400 million years—outlasting dinosaurs, surviving ice ages and weathering mass extinctions. They are symbols of ocean health, which is why Shark Awareness Day draws attention to these apex predators that help maintain balance in marine ecosystems. Protecting sharks means preserving the health of entire ocean environments—and ultimately, securing a sustainable future for all life. Take the blue shark, featured here, for example—sleek, wide-ranging and undeniably captivating. It's the only living member of its genus, and it prefers the deep waters of temperate and tropical oceans. Blue sharks are famous for their epic migrations—some travel from New England to South America, guided by seasonal changes, food availability and favourable environmental conditions.

One of the places this traveller may pass through is the Indian Ocean—the world's third-largest ocean and a rich cradle of marine biodiversity. Known as a breeding ground for the majestic humpback whale, the Indian Ocean is also home to a variety of shark species, including the blue shark, bull shark and dusky shark.