Shark

[bowlofpetunias]

This thread is making me cringe now....
I think Peter Benchley just rolled a bit in his grave.

Oh please add some sanity please :worship: Seriously something from someone qualified to comment please!

I've seen a LOT of morays over my 700+ dives .. never seen one act aggressively but pretty well of my dives are areas there chumming, feeding critters and even spear fishing are not done. I have heard friends who dive where spearing and feeding happen talk about the aggressive behaviour of Morays

It is also quite common for us to see various types of sharks where we dive. It would not be an exaggeration to say I have seen hundreds of sharks. I remember one dive where we lost count in the 40's. I will say that I personally refuse to support any of those activities by my choice and therefore avoid them. This is MY choice I don't question a person's right to do these things where they are legally allowed. Pretty well all of the sharks I have seen were not in areas where feeding, chumming or spear fishing happened. I have only seen one behave in an aggressive way. It was "challenging" a spear fisher with dead fish in a holder in Florida.

I know I have dived where Great Whites have been close by. One situation comes to mind where a GWS took a dog and a pelican in a small bay just past where we were diving. That shark had to have passed within 100yards of us! Had I known it was close by I would not have dived.. I would yield the area to the apex predator in IT'S TERRITORY just like I made it a habit of yielding the area to the apex predator Grizzly when I was in the bush in remote British Columbia. We can reduce the chances of an attack by using some sensible but not paranoid decisions.

We are seeing more attacks here because people are not following the rules of avoidance. In the past people here knew it was unwise to swim, surf or hang on the surface at dawn and dusk as there were more attacks then. Now people don't know or don't care. So many of the attacks occur around these times and activities. In OZ attacks are very uncommon on Scuba Divers. More common on freedivers as they can be spear fishing or Abalone divers for similar reasons as well as swimmers and surfers.

I think is wiser to try to figure out how to minimise the likelihood of and attack and therefore the need to respond to an attack!

 

[boulderjohn]

Remember that when you see video of somebody 'riding' a great white by the dorsal fin or some such, it is generally some sort of professional (or very passionate, seasoned non-pro. maybe?) who deliberately sought out the animal. These are not random recreational divers on tourist dive charters who just spotted a big GWS or tiger shark and decided to play with it.

This one is Jean-Michel Cousteau, while in his 70s, I believe. I saw the full video in a presentation he made. they were snorkeling in an area frequented by great whites, and a friend who does this all the time suggested that he give it a shot. The man who suggested it does it regularly, indicating that he does not feel afraid to do it.

What difference does it make who is doing it? It's not like these are trained pets.

 

[Pinecube]

What difference does it make who is doing it? It's not like these are trained pets.

The difference would be that someone who spends a lot of time time with these sharks will learn their typical behavior over time. They would have a better idea of when it's acting out of the ordinary, and when it's be best to just leave it alone.

Though I guess you have to get that experience somehow...

 

[g1138]

The difference would be that someone who spends a lot of time time with these sharks will learn their typical behavior over time. They would have a better idea of when it's acting out of the ordinary, and when it's be best to just leave it alone.

Though I guess you have to get that experience somehow...

THIIIIIISSSS!

Oh please add some sanity please :worship: Seriously something from someone qualified to comment please!

Is that cheeky sarcasm? I concede to let everyone have their fun and humor.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

....

 

[HazardSports]

The most aggressive shark I've encountered were the two that bumped my GoPro while in the Bahamas. They were just curious and weren't "aggressive". I got plenty of awesome footage of shark that day, so close you could see the pupils in the eyes. I had a few swim near me and a few follow me while I swam. But nothing like some of the videos I've seen on the Internet. My wife would've passed out! Hopefully I won't ever see an over aggressive shark

 

[Texasguy]

This September I dove with 2 reef sharks, one was 6-7 feet, another probably 7 or more. One shark did not care about me, the other one would come and circle me about 4-5 times then go away, then come circle me and go away. I'd helicopter when I was circled to keep the eye contact. The shark was about a touch away. We met the sharks at the end of the dive and all divers pretty much left the water back onto the ship because they were running low. I was diving sidemount and had plenty of air, so I stayed. Before, I never really seen sharks of that size, usually like 3-4 footers, same reef variety. After being approached over and over again and circled, I kind of felt that maybe I am overstaying my welcome and too, left the waters. I think that the shark was curious but it was a bit big for me to take it lightly. Plus, being circled over and over, usually, at least in cartoons, is kind of a precursor to being attacked. Not knowing any better and being completely alone underwater with 2 sizable sharks, I got the hell out. Maybe I could have stayed but I am a pussy. But the shark probably never seen a sidemount diver, in its defense, I was probably looking differently than other divers, me being surrounded with 2 tanks looking all fat and delicious.

 

[Tigerman]

You sure it was a whitetip REEF shark and not an OCEANIC whitetip?

 

[HalcyonDaze]

Replying to the original subject, I suppose it depends on what you mean by "aggressive" and how much of a warning you get. If it decides it wants you for food, odds are you won't see it coming and there's not a hell of a lot you can do. Fortunately, there's not many sharks out there that would see a diver as something to eat (as opposed to say, being curious, getting attracted to your strobes, or trying to mug you for a dead fish). Overall, spotting the shark before it gets up close and personal is key. If you can't do that, your options might be limited.

If we're talking a shark that's curious or wants to roll you for your fish stringer, tracking the shark's movements and standing your ground (in a "not panicking and flailing away" sense, not necessarily in the NRA sense) is a good plan. Make it clear that you're too much trouble to mess with. If possible, get on the bottom and find some cover to limit the possible approaches. If available and necessary, jabbing it in the nose with a spear should get the message across. Blunt impact to the nose or gills also works well. Purging your reg in their face might work. A good, solid shove (particularly if you're braced on the bottom) works well.

This guy here, who had a white shark get a little too curious for comfort, did everything right. Note I say "curious;" if she was fully committed to attacking him she would have done it right at the get-go and grabbed him on the first pass. That last jab to the face sent her packing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJilFvxMQE0

This isn't meant to stir the shark-feeding debate pot, but regardless of your opinion it's worthwhile to look at these clips to see how these guys keep the circus from getting out of hand. In this clip "Jenny" gets very inquisitive, and that's a good time to point the kitty's bitey bits away from you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MqyRGQISyc

Overall - use your judgment. I've never run into an "aggressive" shark; I've had reefies and lemons snag some of my lionfish and I've had to shove a ~7-foot tiger off of another diver. In none of those cases was the shark thinking "human = food." If that was in their heads something like this would be suicide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNKv7OfAtso

 

[Wet Ham]

Shark Attack! | Gilliam

oceanic white tip fatal attack on diver (a very good diver).

Don't think that large predators are like cuddly puppy dogs.

Wow - what a horrifying story! I have never encountered an OWT before, but a friend of mine has encountered an aggressive one before - and believe me, she didn't enjoy it one little bit.........