Wild and Kind Kids Podcast

The Shortfin Mako Shark

• Wild and Kind Kids

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0:00 | 20:34

Far out in the shimmering ocean lives Rosa, a young shortfin mako shark from the Marvelous Makos, a family famous for one incredible thing: flying.

Not with wings, of course. With leaps.

Rosa’s family can burst from the water like silver rockets, twisting high above the waves before crashing back into the sea with giant splashes.

There’s just one problem. Rosa can’t do it.

No matter how hard she tries, she belly flops, skims the surface, or sinks back into the ocean while the other makos soar overhead. And when her mother tells her the secret is remembering two magic words, Rosa is determined to figure them out.

Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they dive into the speedy, surprising world of the shortfin mako shark, the fastest shark in the ocean.

Kids will discover:

  • How mako sharks zoom through the ocean at over 45 miles per hour
  • Why some sharks have to keep swimming to stay alive
  • How sharks grow endless rows of replacement teeth
  • Why mako sharks sometimes launch completely out of the water

Keep exploring:

Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted:

SPEAKER_02

Hi friends, are you ready? Because we are about to move. I want you to run in place. Jump up and down. If you're in a car seat, you can shake your arms, wiggle your head, anything you want to do as long as you keep moving. So I'll say go and I want you to keep moving until I say stop. You ready?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Go! Okay. We've got some running here.

SPEAKER_01

I'm going as fast as I can.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, Lizie's moving her arms. I'm swimming. Lincoln appears to be swimming through the water. Keep going, everybody. Don't stop moving. This is a clean. Keep going. Stop! Woo! Intense. How are you guys feeling?

SPEAKER_01

Like a son! Like a cheetah.

SPEAKER_02

Alright, I heard some. My heart is beating like a cheetah. Now imagine if your body had to keep moving all the time. Every minute, every day. Just to stay alive. Because that is the life of today's animal. Let's get learning. I'm Carrie, and I grew up on a zoo.

SPEAKER_00

I'm Lincoln. I'm Eiza. And we're a wild about animals.

SPEAKER_02

Welcome to the Wild and Kind Kids Podcast. Hey Lincoln and Eliza.

SPEAKER_00

Hi, Mom.

SPEAKER_02

Today's episode was requested by our listener, Calvin.

SPEAKER_01

Hi, Calvin.

SPEAKER_02

Calvin asked us to cover the Cheetah of the Sea.

SPEAKER_01

Cheetahs don't live in the sea. You said we were covering a shark today.

SPEAKER_02

You are right. People call this animal the cheetah of the sea because it is one of the fastest creatures in the entire ocean.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, I get it.

SPEAKER_02

Yep. It can zoom through the water faster than most cars drive through a neighborhood. It is the short fin Mako Shark. The short fin Mako shark lives in warm oceans all around the world. These sleek, powerful sharks are dark blue on top and bright white underneath. A perfect disguise for life in the open ocean. From above, their dark color blends into the deep blue water below them. And from underneath, their pale bellies blend into the bright sunlight shining down from the surface. Which means whether prey is looking up or down, the Mako shark can be very hard to spot. Okay, Lincoln and Eliza, what else can you tell us? They are built for speed. They are. Short finned Mako sharks have been recorded zooming more than 45 miles per hour through the ocean, making them the fastest sharks on earth. What other animals are fast?

SPEAKER_01

Peregrine falcon falcon.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, peregrine falcon. Okay, they're like 200 miles per hour. Liza, you said cheetah?

SPEAKER_01

Well, the cheetahs play too. Gazels are pretty fast.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah. Cheetahs are like 75 miles per hour. But when it comes to sharks, the shortfin Mako shark is the fastest. And what all these animals have in common, the peregrine falcon, the cheetah, the shark, is that they have bodies built for speed. Because when you want to move fast through the water, you want to be streamlined or smooth as possible. Because anything extra will create drag, which slows you down. That's why Mako sharks have a pointy nose, a crescent-shaped tail, and a smooth torpedo-shaped body that helps them slice through the water like a rocket. Even their skin helps reduce that drag. Their skin is covered in tiny tooth-like scales that help water flow smoothly over their bodies as they swim. These scales are called dermal denticles, which, as you may remember, are the same things that cover a whale shark's eyes. Pretty cool. Okay, what else can you all tell me?

SPEAKER_01

They have to keep moving to stay alive. Even when they sleep, their body engages into a different state where their brain is resting, but their spine keeps them moving while they're sleeping. So they don't sink and die. It's pretty weird.

SPEAKER_02

Yes! So luckily, Mako sharks don't have to zoom around at 45 miles per hour all day long, but they do have to keep moving. As Mako sharks swim, water rushes over their gills, pulling oxygen from the water so the shark can breathe. And if they stop swimming for too long, not enough of that oxygen-rich water can flow over their gills. So even when resting, Mako sharks are usually still slowly cruising through the ocean. Scientists think they might enter this quieter, lower energy state while they swim, but they do have to keep moving and their eyes stay open. That way, water keeps flowing over their gills the whole time. And here's something else really cool about Mako sharks. Even though they live in warmer oceans, they can also swim through surprisingly cold water. That is because they have a special system in their bodies that helps keep parts of them warmer than the ocean around them. Those warm muscles help them stay strong, powerful, and incredibly fast, even in chilly seas. Okay, give me another fact, y'all.

SPEAKER_01

If they lose a tooth, another one is waiting to face it.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, and this is a good thing because Mako sharks are intense hunters. They eat fast-moving animals like tuna, squid, and mackerel. But to catch speedy prey like that, they need super sharp, pointed teeth that are designed to grab slippery fish. And all that hunting means that they lose their teeth pretty often. But for a Mako shark, that's not a big deal because another tooth is always waiting right behind it. Imagine, if you will, like a stack of cups, and if you pull one off the top, there's another one right underneath it. That's kind of how a shark's teeth work. Rows and rows of backup teeth sit behind the front ones, ready to slide forward when needed. Okay, maybe one more fact, y'all.

SPEAKER_01

They might help humans stay healthy.

SPEAKER_02

They might. Scientists study sharks like the Mako to learn more about how bodies heal and fight disease. Because sharks have amazing immune systems and they recover from injuries surprisingly well. So researchers are curious about what we might learn from them. In particular, they've noticed that Mako sharks might have something in their body that makes it harder for tumors to grow. Tumors can sometimes make animals or people sick. And someday, studying sharks could help scientists create new medicines or treatments for humans. Pretty cool. But right now, let's meet one up close in our story of the day. Far out in the shimmering Pacific Ocean, where gulls swoop down to the water and a whole universe of creatures swim under the sea, there lives Rosa. Rosa is a short fen Mako shark. And around these waters, her family is kind of famous.

SPEAKER_01

There goes the marvelous Mako.

SPEAKER_02

There go the marvelous Mako. There go the marvelous Makos. Fish would whisper as they cut through the waves because Rosa's family was made up of famous flying sharks. No wings, just amazing leaps. When food lurked near the surface, they could blast out of the ocean in one giant burst of energy and fins, cutting through the air like silvery rockets. They twisted through the air, they dashed over waves. Their splashes made gulls sputter and squawk. The marvelous Makos were a sight to be seen. But then there was Rosa. Rosa was the only member of the family that could not leap. She tried. Oh she tried. She would zoom straight to the light, point her nose to the surface, and launch herself forward, muscles clenched with all her might. But she just kind of skimmed the surface. Or sank back down. Or did the Mako shark equivalent of a belly flop? It was, to put it mildly, embarrassing. Every month, during the brightest full moon, the Mako family gathered to practice breaching together. Old sharks, young sharks, tiny sharks who sometimes swam into kelp. One by one they rocketed skyward. Who spin splash. Rosa watched her little cousin Linny leap clean over a drifting log. She's four, Rosa muttered. Four and a half, said Linny proudly. Rosa sighed. Her mother swam beside her. Her mother was one of the greatest leapers in the whole ocean. When she breached, dolphins stopped talking just to watch. Rosa, she said gently, you just need to remember the two magic words. Rosa's eyes widened. Two magic words Her mother nodded. The most important words in the whole ocean. Then she flicked her tail and exploded out of the sea like a silver lightning bolt. Rosa stared upward in awe. The magic words. Of course. That had to be the secret. The next morning Rosa woke up before sunrise.

SPEAKER_01

Go faster.

SPEAKER_02

She shouted at herself. Surely, those were two magic words. She zoomed through the ocean chasing Tuna. Go pyre she yelled, just in case those were the magic words. She launched herself towards the surface. Flop Belly flop. Those must have not been the actual magic words. A crab watching from a rock nearby winced. Oh said the crab. That is going to leave a mark. Rosa practiced every day. She practiced in calm water. She practiced in choppy water. She practiced after breakfast. She practiced before breakfast. One time she practiced immediately after eating six squid. And that was a terrible decision. An absolutely terrible decision. Halfway through the jump? Well, let's just say several squid saw daylight again. A group of anchovies screamed and scattered out of the way.

SPEAKER_01

The sky is falling.

SPEAKER_02

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. And still Rosa could not leap. Not really, not like the others. One evening, after a particularly embarrassing flop that startled three sleeping pelicans, Rosa drifted quietly beneath the waves. Her cousin Nico zipped overhead.

SPEAKER_01

Coming to moon practice tomorrow?

SPEAKER_02

He asked. Rosa shrugged. Maybe. But she didn't go. Not to the next moon practice either. Or the next. Instead, she just swam deep below the surface where nobody could watch her fail. The ocean down there was quieter, darker, colder. Nobody expected anything from her. One afternoon, Rosa drifted slowly through the water while a tiny fish zipped around her fins. You know, said the fish, for a super fast shark, you mope surprisingly slow. I'm not fast, muttered Rosa. The fish stared at her. You crossed half the reef in eight seconds. Rosa sighed dramatically.

SPEAKER_01

Well not fast enough.

SPEAKER_02

The fish nodded. Fair. Then suddenly, flash a silver flying fish burst from the water ahead. It zipped over the waves like a skipping stone, because behind it came a much larger fish snapping hungrily at its tail. The flying fish squeaked in panic. Help, help. Rosa recognized the fish. It was her friend Coral. Without thinking, Rosa lunged forward. Her tail whipped side to side. The water roared around her. Faster, faster, faster. Coral continued to shout in fear. Rosa chased harder. Her muscles burned. The ocean surface rushed toward her, and then Kabus Rosa exploded out of the sea. She shot into the sunlight like a silver rocket. And for one perfect moment, Rosa flew into the air. The wind rushed past her fins. The whole ocean sparkled beneath her. She flew right between Coral and the Predator in hot pursuit. And in that moment, Rosa noticed something. She wasn't focused on going faster or higher or proving anything at all. She was just moving to help her friend. Coral splashed to safety right back into a school of friends. Coral, you made it screamed another flying fish. I thought you were a goner. Rosa crashed back into the ocean with the mightiest splash of her entire life. For a second, she simply floated there, blinking. Did that really happen? Far below, she heard a familiar voice. Her mother swam toward her smiling. You learned the magic words, she said softly. Rosa grinned. I did. Her mother nodded. Rosa puffed up proudly.

SPEAKER_01

They will go faster, right?

SPEAKER_02

No, Rosa.

SPEAKER_01

Go higher?

SPEAKER_02

Nope. Rosa frowned.

SPEAKER_01

Don't eat six squiggs before jumping.

SPEAKER_02

That is also good advice. But a few more than two words. Rosa tilted her head. Her mother touched her fin gently against her. Not yet. Rosa blinked. That's it. That's it. Rosa looked up toward the glittering sky above the waves. Then she flicked her tail.

SPEAKER_01

You know, I suddenly feel like practicing.

SPEAKER_02

Her mother grinned. Again? Rosa grinned back.

SPEAKER_01

Again.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, y'all. Today's story was inspired by countless children's books that we love that talk about this idea of not yet. And it was inspired by real shark science.

SPEAKER_01

Because Mako sharks really do jump out of the water.

SPEAKER_02

Yes. While chasing prey or moving at a top speed, a short finned Mako shark can launch their whole body into the air and out of the water. Scientists call this breaching. That's when an animal launches itself completely out of the water. Whales do it, dolphins do it, and some sharks do it too. But Mako sharks are some of the fastest and highest leaping sharks in the entire ocean. Some have been seen launching themselves nearly 20 feet into the air. That's taller than a one-story house. Over the roof. And when a giant shark comes bursting out of the ocean like a silver rocket, no matter how high they go, it is amazing to see. Before we go, it's time for your WildCon mission. This week, we're asking you to defend the fin. Yes, sharks sometimes get a bad rap, but they help keep ocean ecosystems healthy and balanced. And in the case of short fin Mako sharks, they are incredibly intelligent creatures with some of the biggest brains compared to their body size in the shark world. And right now, Mako sharks and other shark species are under threat because of pollution, overfishing, or people hunting them faster than they can reproduce. But you can help. You can help defend the fin by learning one new fact about sharks and sharing it with someone else. Maybe you can teach a friend that Mako sharks are the fastest sharks in the ocean, or that sharks can grow thousands of teeth during their lifetime. And if you want to keep learning, you can check out sharks for kids with your grown-up. They have awesome videos, activities, and resources all about sharks and how to protect them.

SPEAKER_01

Because when we understand animals better, we're more likely to protect them.

SPEAKER_02

Thanks everyone. We'll see you next week. Leave us a review and tell your friends. Check out the show notes to find a coloring sheet for today's creature. And explore more episodes at wildandkindkids.com. To show us your coloring sheet or request an animal for a future story, contact us at wild and kindkidspod at gmail.com. You can also find us on Instagram at Wild and Kind Kids Pod. Thanks for exploring with us, friends. Until next time.

SPEAKER_01

Keep your hearts kind and your curiosity wild.