The Problem with Sharks In the 19th century, naturalist Philip Gosse was filled with wonder at God's handiwork as it could be seen in all sea creatures. But even he had problems with sharks:   "In truth, I have never seen any animal, terrestrial or aquatic, which so to speak, has 'villain' written on its countenance in as legible characters as the Shark… there is a particular malignity in the expression of the eye, that seems almost Satanic." In the end he could only make sense of it like this: "On more than one occasion, the whole body of a man had been taken from this living sepulchre. Yet this sanguinary voracity is but the result of an unerring instinct implanted in the animal by GOD, without exercise of which its life could not be sustained." (The Ocean, 1851) Gosse was reaching towards the idea that all living things - maggots and pandas, tape-worms and tigers - have their place in the complex web of life on our planet. Modern ecological science has confirmed these thoughts. In this case, the Bible and theologians have gained new insights from scientists. Back to the Whale's page...