Persistent fear of sharks?
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I have only shore dived in NC. I have wreck dived in SC, all over the FL panhandle, AL, and oil rigs in TX. Also wrecks in NS and a week in Caribbean Panama. No sharks yet. I was told by the boat in SC and one on the panhandle that I would surely see a shark. Nope.
OP-Most of my diving is/has been in "shark infested" waters.
The shark is a truly magnificent creature to behold. I suspect once you have seen a shark ior two you will be blown away by their magnificence.
TMheimer-If you want to see sharks then try diving in Noumea. I think you will be impressed
The shark is a truly magnificent creature to behold. I suspect once you have seen a shark ior two you will be blown away by their magnificence.
TMheimer-If you want to see sharks then try diving in Noumea. I think you will be impressed
AfterDark
Contributor
Being "afraid" of sharks is like being afraid of wolfs or bears or any other animal big enough and with the equipment to hurt you even if by accident. With over 2000 dives would I be afraid of Large Marge swimming nearby me? Shes a 18 Great White that summers off the coast of Cape Cod; damn straight I would be, quite probably terrified especially if I were solo; nobody to push in front of the shark! She could hurt a human with her tail never mind her teeth. She did bite then let go of a swimmers leg in Touro I think a few years ago.
How fear is handled is often called courage. So do you have courage? Do you want to face your fear or run and hide from it? You already answered that I think; now you want encouragement.
It is a fact that being on the surface puts one in more danger of being accidently bitten by a shark then being underwater. You posted you have been snorkeling, so your current activity puts you at greater risk than being down there with them where you are safer!
We divers have a lot of electronic gear these days, remote SPGs, PDCs, digital cameras and video recorders. Sharks are very sensitive to these kinds of signals; those signals may confuse a shark to the point of wanting nothing to do with us. Never heard of any studies on it but it would be worth a study.
I have a credo Ive lived by for all my life: Never be so afraid of dying that you never get a chance to live.
Now go learn how to dive and enjoy life before its over! Good luck with your class!
How fear is handled is often called courage. So do you have courage? Do you want to face your fear or run and hide from it? You already answered that I think; now you want encouragement.
It is a fact that being on the surface puts one in more danger of being accidently bitten by a shark then being underwater. You posted you have been snorkeling, so your current activity puts you at greater risk than being down there with them where you are safer!
We divers have a lot of electronic gear these days, remote SPGs, PDCs, digital cameras and video recorders. Sharks are very sensitive to these kinds of signals; those signals may confuse a shark to the point of wanting nothing to do with us. Never heard of any studies on it but it would be worth a study.
I have a credo Ive lived by for all my life: Never be so afraid of dying that you never get a chance to live.
Now go learn how to dive and enjoy life before its over! Good luck with your class!
victorzamora
Contributor
OP: My first dive with sharks was very interesting. I wasn't "afraid" of sharks (my brother is deathly allergic to the thought of sharks)....but I was nervous about being in the water with them. On one dive, the guide said 'Yup, them spots down there are sharks!" I was freaking out, I was so nervous. We hopped in the water, I looked: Yup, sharks! AHHHHHH!!H!H!H!H!H!!HHHH......wait, they're pretty cool. Literally, that was my thought process. I freaked out for like one second while my brain wrapped around the sharks. I think the official count was like 200+ sharks in the water at that site. VERY fun dive. After a few minutes in the water, they were friends. Everything was Nurse/Reef/Blacktip for a while....ranging from 3-6ft or so. Guide indicated "big shark" to me a few times, and by the time I realized it a gigantic bull shark was on top of me. I fainted (or almost did) from surprise....but it swam right on by. VERY cool experience. Only other time I was afraid of sharks was diving an NC wreck. I was in the middle of a school of fish those sand tigers apparently found yummy. I moved out of their way, and really enjoyed watching them dart through the school. Those are some dopey-looking sharks!
I guess my point is that when you're in their environment, respect them. Envy them. Be awe-struck by them....but don't fear them. They're incredible creatures, and they're getting more and more scarce. Outside of a few dive sites known for sharks, I've come across very few in my days of diving. Now that I'm cave diving, I'm coming across even less of them.....but that's besides the point! Get certified, enjoy your diving, and have your rational side tell your irrational side that they're not there to harm you. I know it's not that easy, but it'll be worth it when you finally get over it.
I guess my point is that when you're in their environment, respect them. Envy them. Be awe-struck by them....but don't fear them. They're incredible creatures, and they're getting more and more scarce. Outside of a few dive sites known for sharks, I've come across very few in my days of diving. Now that I'm cave diving, I'm coming across even less of them.....but that's besides the point! Get certified, enjoy your diving, and have your rational side tell your irrational side that they're not there to harm you. I know it's not that easy, but it'll be worth it when you finally get over it.
I think I have to chime in with the general sentiment above - sharks are not to be feared. Most of them are perfectly harmless, many are more afraid of you than you are of them. Some will be curious and pass by to check you out, most will disappear as soon as they become aware of your presence.
Most species of shark that you're likely to encounter don't get much bigger that 1.5 - 2 metres in length - which is around the same size as a scuba diver, and they are simply not interested in you as a food source. They're looking for smaller stuff - injured or dying fish, rays, molluscs, so on and so forth.
Those species of shark that actively hunt larger prey are still looking for food that is generally smaller than the average diver. I'm sure we've all seen footage of the Great White leaping out of the water with a seal between its jaws but look how small that seal is: they're not hunting the fit, agile adults, they pick off the weak and the injured.
It's also very true that most shark "attacks" occur at the surface - swimmers, snorkellers and surfers and it's very probable that these attacks are a case of "mistaken identity" - but attacks on divers are very, very rare indeed. They do happen - and I've corresponded with one member of scubaboard who was attacked by a Bull Shark - but it is really true to say that you are more likely to be killed by a spontaneous explosion of your house than you are by a shark.
They are kinda scary when you first meet them and that's a normal reaction - but as others have said - respect them, because they are at pretty much the pinnacle of ocean predators, but I've been diving with 60-odd sharks around me in close proximity and they just weren't interested. If it had been 60 lions somewhere in the African Savanna, I would have been pooping in my pants!
It is also the case that a lot of our fear of sharks really does come from the Jaws movies. It's also worth pointing out that the author of the original books - Peter Benchley - upon realising his mistake, spent the rest of his life and most of his fortune dedicated to shark conservation.
Dive safe; love our sharks,
Crowley
Most species of shark that you're likely to encounter don't get much bigger that 1.5 - 2 metres in length - which is around the same size as a scuba diver, and they are simply not interested in you as a food source. They're looking for smaller stuff - injured or dying fish, rays, molluscs, so on and so forth.
Those species of shark that actively hunt larger prey are still looking for food that is generally smaller than the average diver. I'm sure we've all seen footage of the Great White leaping out of the water with a seal between its jaws but look how small that seal is: they're not hunting the fit, agile adults, they pick off the weak and the injured.
It's also very true that most shark "attacks" occur at the surface - swimmers, snorkellers and surfers and it's very probable that these attacks are a case of "mistaken identity" - but attacks on divers are very, very rare indeed. They do happen - and I've corresponded with one member of scubaboard who was attacked by a Bull Shark - but it is really true to say that you are more likely to be killed by a spontaneous explosion of your house than you are by a shark.
They are kinda scary when you first meet them and that's a normal reaction - but as others have said - respect them, because they are at pretty much the pinnacle of ocean predators, but I've been diving with 60-odd sharks around me in close proximity and they just weren't interested. If it had been 60 lions somewhere in the African Savanna, I would have been pooping in my pants!
It is also the case that a lot of our fear of sharks really does come from the Jaws movies. It's also worth pointing out that the author of the original books - Peter Benchley - upon realising his mistake, spent the rest of his life and most of his fortune dedicated to shark conservation.
Dive safe; love our sharks,
Crowley
PatW
Contributor
I have over 500 dives in the Caribbean. I have seen nurse sharks of decent size, 10+ feet.They are shy and usually flee the area once they are aware that divers are around. I have seen reef sharks ranging from 3 to 8 feet and one 6 foot bull shark. All of the sharks I have seen will flee a diver if approached.
Remember, divers are intimidating. They are about 9 feet long when you include the fins. They look big because of the wet suit, bcd and scuba tank and they blow really impressive bubbles. It takes a shark of about 14' to have the confidence to launch a predatory attack on a swimmer. Big sharks a very, very rare partially because of relentless killing of large fish. Only a few shark species have been known to kill humans. Fatal shark attacks are very rare. The problem is that any attack gets world wide coverage making them seem more common. More people are killed by bees, dogs and vending machines each year than sharks.
But that is all logic. The problem is not with facts but with fear. Now exposure to a fear in small doses can reduce it. Also you can just dive in areas where large sharks are non existent which means virtually everywhere.
Remember, divers are intimidating. They are about 9 feet long when you include the fins. They look big because of the wet suit, bcd and scuba tank and they blow really impressive bubbles. It takes a shark of about 14' to have the confidence to launch a predatory attack on a swimmer. Big sharks a very, very rare partially because of relentless killing of large fish. Only a few shark species have been known to kill humans. Fatal shark attacks are very rare. The problem is that any attack gets world wide coverage making them seem more common. More people are killed by bees, dogs and vending machines each year than sharks.
But that is all logic. The problem is not with facts but with fear. Now exposure to a fear in small doses can reduce it. Also you can just dive in areas where large sharks are non existent which means virtually everywhere.
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