Why Sharks Want You to Ride Your Bike

Why Sharks Want You to Ride Your Bike

Check out this new bike rack outside Monterey Bay Aquarium!  It’s a shark where you can park your bike.  It is strong, useful and beautiful.

That’s what my favorite architecture writer, the 1^st century Roman Vitruvius, says that every structure should have: strength (firmitas), usefulness (utilitas) and beauty (venustas.)  (Many buildings have 2 out of 3; strength and beauty, but no closets. Or strength and utility, but really ugly.  Or useful and attractive, but they fall down!)

Sharks, also, are strong, useful and beautiful.  Strong? No argument.  Useful? Like all top predators, such as lions, they promote habitat diversity by eating a variety of prey, so that one prey animal doesn’t dominate and overeat other animals or plants. Beautiful?  Look at the graceful lines and sleek profile. 

Sharks really want us to ride our bikes.  Less driving means we put less CO2 in the ocean.  That means a healthy habitat and more food for all ocean critters – less warming and less acidification, which both cut down on what’s available for dinner.  Ride your bike and keep food on the plate for all sea creatures.

Are sharks huge scary eaters?  No!!  Sea otters eat a quarter of their weight every DAY, 15 lbs.  Sharks eat a quarter of their weight every MONTH, even white sharks.

So ride your bike and the otters and sharks and other ocean critters won’t go hungry.  Really.  Recycling is great, reducing plastic essential, but the BEST thing to do for the ocean is drive less and buy local.  

Ride your bike to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and I will get you in free!  That’s not a joke, it’s a promise.

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I write these Blue Theology devotionals on ocean stewardship and spirituality every Wednesday here and on Facebook.Come visit our ministry in Pacific Grove and learn why God loves the ocean and wants us to love it, and sharks, a bit better.  And to ride our bikes.  Bluetheology.com