During
1998 alone, 70 percent of all corals in the Indian Ocean
from Africa to India died as a result of coral bleaching
caused by high sea temperatures.
Great
white sharks don't fare well in aquariums, possibly because
of their extreme sensitivity to electrical currents. The
sharks can detect charges of 0.005 micro volts -- the
amount given off by a beating heart -- so electrical equipment
in aquariums likely confuses or disturbs them.
Over
fishing, pollution and rising sea temperatures now threaten
27 percent of the world's coral reefs -- compared with
just 10 percent a decade ago.
The
world's fastest shark, the short fin mako, is capable
of swimming at speeds up to 60 mph. It can also launch
its massive body more than 20 feet into the air.
Some
Alaskan polar bears may be "commuters" -- it's believed
that they use ice floes to travel back and forth to Siberia
Frogs
have tiny teeth or no teeth at all. So instead of chewing
their prey, they swallow it whole -- while it's still
alive and sometimes still moving.
A
polar bear's sense of smell is keen enough to detect seals'
"breathing holes" in the sea ice from more than half a
mile away.
Wild
Fact
