Hey, I'm Hannah and I'm going to be doing the 100km South West Coast2Coast Ultra Challenge on the 25th July in aid of The Shark Trust. The fact that I am willing to put myself through this exemplifies how passionately I believe in this cause. I have been in love with sharks for as long as I can remember and I have been lucky to both encounter and research them internationally. 

But why should you care about sharks?

Sharks are integral to a healthy ocean, and a healthy ocean is paramount to the future prosperity of the human population. It is in all of our interests to conserve sharks and give them the protection they deserve.

Unlike most fish, sharks belong to a group called 'elasmobranchs' and have special characteristics because of it. Their late sexual maturity and low fecundity (how many babies they have with each reproduction cycle), make shark populations particularly vulnerable to human pressures like overfishing and being caught as bycatch.

Thanks to their portrayal in the media, sharks are often painted with a 'mindless killer' brush, but this could not be further from the truth. Sharks are intelligent animals that DO NOT seek out humans as a food source. As many shark biologists and activists have demonstrated, humans and sharks can peacefully co-exist. 

In the UK we are lucky to have over 40 species of shark which inhabit our waters. The Shark Trust is already doing phenomenal work advocating for sharks through educational outreach and campaigning for their protection, but there is still more work to be done and it is important we support their efforts to safeguard the future of sharks.

Thank you for supporting my fundraising efforts. No contribution is too small - all of those £1s add up! I would appreciate it if you could take the time to share this fundraiser.

Thank you again & stay sharky,

Hannah x

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Sharks and rays are some of the ocean's most amazing animals. Present in our seas for 400 million years, they are vital and valuable but also vulnerable. Around a quarter of the 1000 or so species of sharks and rays are considered "threatened", largely due to the impact of unsustainable fisheries. The Shark Trust works tirelessly in the UK and around the World to ensure endangered species of sharks are suitably protected, while also pushing for science-based fisheries management for all species to ensure long term sustainability.