Design of the Shark

White sharks, which catch their prey by following it with their eyes, experience no difficulty when swimming off hot coral shores. In cold ocean waters, however, their vision should be impaired by the cold.

Under normal conditions, their eyes should find it difficult to follow their prey, since chemical reactions slow them down under the influence of the cold water. Yet white sharks never encounter such difficulties, for while they are cold-blooded, the heat from their body's muscles is directed straight to the eyes. Thus, they can catch the fastest swimming fish and even seals. (1)

Yet how do other shark species, whose vision is too weak in cold waters to follow their prey, manage to find food? The answer to this question introduces us to the perfect design in sharks.

Sharks Are Sensitive to Electrical Currents

All living things give off electricity and heat. Those creatures that live in darkness find it hard to perceive these currents, because the air serves as an insulator. However, water is a natural conductor of electricity, which means that animals that can sense that electricity have a most effective sense perception. Sharks have this advantage to such an extent that they can perceive all vibrations in the water, changes in water temperature and salinity levels, and especially minute changes in electrical currents given off by moving creatures. (2)

A shark's body contains a large number of gel-filled grooves. These grooves are particularly concentrated at the head, from where they extend right through the animals' bodies. Known as the "ampullae of Lorenzini," these magnificent electrical receivers are used by both sharks and skates to find their prey. These organs are connected to stoma (pores) in the animal's head and snout. As electro-receptors, these are so sensitive that they can perceive currents as small as 20 billionths of a volt.

This is an extraordinary ability. Think of the batteries in your home. Sharks can detect the current given off by one of these 1.5 volt batteries from a distance of 3,000 kilometres (1,800 miles). (3)

The information provided so far shows that sharks possess extraordinarily complex bodily systems. Most of their systems and organs function together to such an extent that the others could not function if one were absent. For example, the lack or disablement of even one of the components of this electro-receptor system would mean that the ampullae of Lorenzini could not function as intended.

Despite this manifest truth, the theory of evolution would have us believe that "primitive sharks" did not possess these electro-receptors in the way their modern-day counterparts do, and that this perfect system only developed gradually over time. However, the illogical nature of this assumption is evident, for sharks could not survive without this system. Moreover, such a perfect system could not have developed over time, for the body muscles that transfer heat directly to the eyes, as well as the systems that perceive electrical waves with such extraordinary sensitivity, must have emerged as a whole.

Thus, this system could not have come about in stages, as evolutionists maintain, for the intermediate stages would serve no purpose. The fossil record indeed confirms this: There is absolutely no difference between shark fossils dating back millions of years and present-day specimens.

In addition to the ampullae of Lorenzini, the sharks' respiratory system, which function as the magnetic receptors that allow them to find their way, and their ability to swim at high speeds are all miracles of creation. As with all other living things, God has created sharks in an absolutely flawless form.