With the exception of Bruce, Anchor, and Chum from Finding Nemo, sharks tend to strike fear into the hearts of ocean-goers. Though it’s true they do sometimes mistake people for seals, fatalities from shark bites are rare. In fact, these giant fish are more similar to the animated vegetarian trio than the killing machines of reputation. Underwater photographer Richard Salas has spent more than three decades snapping pictures of sharks “to show people that, at least on the quantum level, we are all made of the same stuff,” he said in an interview last fall. To learn more about sharks from the safety of land, check out Salas’s talk Sharks: Misunderstood Marvels, Thursday, February 21, 7 p.m., at the S.B. Maritime Museum (113 Harbor Wy.). He will also be signing copies of his latest coffee-table book, Blue Visions. For more information, call 962-8404 x115 or visit sbmm.org.