Persistent fear of sharks?

[drrich2]

Like the iricongi (sp?) octopus, which is in Australia.

I believe you're thinking on a tiny (but visible to the naked eye) jellyfish - Irukandji.

Shark feeding is not done at anywhere near all dive areas. There are places sharks are more used to it, but plenty of places they are not. Even in areas where this is done, from what I understand lots of people dive without being bothered. It's lionfish-fed big green morays I worry about a little.

8 1-Week trips to Bonaire, haven't seen a shark there yet. Key Largo, saw a few reef sharks & nurse sharks. Belize - saw a nurse shark & some reef sharks, one around 5-6 feet long lured in with dead lion fish. The shark & I got pretty close; it never threatened me.

My point is, there are places you can go to probably see sharks, at least at some times of the year, and probably fairly close. But there are plenty of places you can go where seeing them is unlikely to rare, and they're not likely to get close.

Richard.

 

[scottwilson1]

I love / respect sharks don't think I'll try to ride there dorsal fin but they are majestic

 

[Lefty Writer]

I love to photograph sharks. This one was taken inside a wreck that was full of so many sharks I could not move inside it without bumping into them. I do not find them to be aggressive at all. You would be really lucky if you saw one without actually searching for them.

View attachment 210164

Sigh......

I wish I could have an answer like the above. It's sort of the opposite for me thus far......to the OP, just go diving with me, when I have my camera, and you are guaranteed NOT to see a shark.

 

[Mike126]

Like others have said, you are more likely getting bit as a snorkeler or surfer than a diver. Sharks are going after easy meals so as a diver you are just as big as they are and should not be showing signs of distress/injury. If you stay calm and are with you buddy you should be very safe. A general fear is good so you don't do stupid things like put a hand near their mouth or harass them. But treat a sighting as a good experience that is unfortunately becoming harder to have than years ago (thanks to shark fin soup[emoji35]!)

Relax and enjoy the experience. It is more likely than not that the shark will swim off with no interest in you.

The thing to fear more are the obnoxious divers that hold onto coral and are always swimming in your path kicking your mask! [emoji3]


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[DoubleAA]

My wife was fairly fearful of sharks before doing our checkout dives. We went to T&C for those and saw sharks on every dive.

Now she is the one wanting to go on dives with sharks. She loves them now. Once she saw them as the easy going beasts they are she had no fear.

Dives we did a few weeks ago there were hammerhead spotted at that site the day before. She didn't hesitate to get in the water.

I saw this thread over on reddit too. I think you got some good responses in both places.

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[highdesert]

Sharks in their natural habitat, and by that I mean sharks other than those attracted by artificial feeding, are a wondrous thing to behold.

We had the privilege, and I do mean privilege, to find the eight of us, plus guide, in the midst of somewhere from 200-250 silky sharks. This happened two days in a row while diving Malpelo. We were gradually surrounded on all sides, including above and below. It was obvious that the sharks were simply curious. Here were nine terrestrial beings blowing bubbles and being altogether clumsy and obnoxious, in their territory. They swam along with us, watched us from a close distance (many within 2-3 meters of us), but never was there the slightest indication of aggression. When they were satisfied we weren't dinner, or a threat, they simply disappeared. Two of the best dives of my lifetime!

Same trip, we also saw our first hammerheads, and learned that movement, bubbles, or strobes were all it took for them to disappear into the blue in a second or two. They were extremely shy and skittish, but what an amazing example of one of nature's more bizarre designs!

Hopefully mankind is at the end of its hell-bent desire to wipe sharks off the face of the Earth (tantamount to killing the oceans), but right now, most divers, on most dive sites on Earth, have to actively seek out sharks just to see one.

 

[TMHeimer]

drrich2, Thanks, I recalled incorrectly about Irukandji. Thanks for the link. I got it mixed up in that it is a jellyfish whose sting is supposedly 10X worse than the box Jelly--not Blue Ring Octo.

 

[Nemrod]

I love sharks:

My old Canon 570 Ikelite.

Swim in a group and buy yellow fins for your husband!

N

 

[maat1976]

I grew up going to the beach where Jaws was filmed, so was always terrified of sharks. I made sure my brother and sister were as well and told them sand sharks swam in the sand, and if you see one, beat it with a baseball bat.

I literally refused to go in the water. Then I met my husband who is an avid diver, and I tried diving. On our second trip we went to Grenada, and my AOW instructor was wearing a Jaws tshirt and told me a bull was spotted the day before. I had to force myself into the water. I never saw anything.

Finally on our third trip we were 4 minutes into our first dive (Bali) and a reef shark appeared. It was super cool and honestly, as people mention, the fear goes away. I think they're more like cats than dogs but whatever, you get the point. I've seen a few more sharks since, but none of the big predators. If probably still be scared stiff, but I feel much safer under the water than at the surface. Now if a big fin appeared while I was waiting to be picked up by the boat- then I'd probably ink in my wetsuit!!!

I do want to see a hammerhead. Somehow with those silly heads they don't scare me as much!

 

[Lorenzoid]

I know it's only been two days, but I noticed the OP has not been back since joining SB and posting this. I guess she didn't need help THAT badly. Or maybe she was eaten by a shark.