Shark Sheet of 20 Forever USPS First Class one Ounce Postage Stamps Ecotourism Conservation Preservation Ecology Nature

Mythologized and misunderstood, few creatures capture the imagination as sharks do. With this sheet of 20 stamps, the U.S. Postal Service showcases five types of these amazing fish, which emerged long before dinosaurs and are now uniquely adapted for their top-predator role in the marine food chain. Each realistic stamp image is labeled by species: Mako Shark, Thresher Shark, Great White Shark, Whale Shark, and Hammerhead Shark." Styled in lowercase letters, the words USA forever also appear on each stamp. As difficult as it can be to put our primal fears and vulnerabilities in perspective, people are realizing that we pose far greater danger to sharks than they do to us. They are overfished for food and sport. The practice of finning cutting off shark fins for a soup delicacy, only to throw the incapacitated animal back in the water dooms a great many sharks. They are slower to reach reproductive maturity than other fish, and though they bear more developed offspring, because of unsustainable fishing this is no longer an evolutionary advantage over egg laying. Many populations are in collapse. There is new hope, however. Shark ecotourism has become popular worldwide with enthusiasts excited to see these graceful fish underwater.

Always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail Ounce rate These self-adhesive stamps are being issued in Sheets of 20 Shark allure is resulting in increased study and greater understanding of these fantastic, still mysterious creatures