Just how many sharks are being killed here is unclear, experts say, because so many are caught illegally. But according to one study, about a half-million sharks were annually killed in Ecuadoran waters from 1979 to 2004. In the Galapagos, recent research indicates overfishing is causing shark numbers to crash, causing a ripple among marine animals.
The Galapagos shark usually hunts near the sea bottom. Dr. Dwayne Meadows, NOAA/NMFS/OPR
Ocean Sentry