With hundreds of millions of years of history in their genes, it’s no surprise that sharks are the apex predators of the oceans. But rather than perpetuate the stereotype of sharks being dangerous, let’s think of them as they are – amazing sea creatures that deserve our respect and, for the health of our oceans, deserve protection.

Take these baby lemon sharks, for example. They’re considered the best known of all shark populations because of research done at the Bimini Biological Field Station. But as well-studied as they are, lemon sharks tend to avoid us. Like many species of shark, lemon sharks prefer to be close-knit with one another. Social interaction is important to them, just as it is for humans. It helps them learn, cooperate and survive. Sadly, humans have overfished the lemon shark, mostly for food, putting it on the list of vulnerable species. So, rather than live in fear of sharks, let’s change the narrative to giving them a little space to live in peace. The lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) is a species of shark from the family Carcharhinidae and is classified as a Vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Lemon sharks can grow to 3.4 metres (11 ft) in length. They are often found in shallow subtropical waters and are known to inhabit and return to specific nursery sites for breeding. Often feeding at night, these