Does Shark Week Affect Your Diving?

2 Bar · Aug 13, 2003

There's been some great video of interactions with sharks this week on The Discovery Channel. How does this affect your diving? Are you freaked out from the video of aggressive behavior and attacks? Or are you put at ease from the information about how rare attacks are and tips on how to act around sharks? I have only discovery dived once, and am taking certification classes now. I'm about 75% at ease with these sharks I may never see, and 25% freaked out.

:bang:

Rick Murchison · Aug 13, 2003

Nope.

Rick

cyklon_300 · Aug 13, 2003

Last nite I watched some bozo (he actually did look like Bozo now that I think about it) swimming with a large mako while shaking a dead fish in its face. The voice-over repeatedly described the situation as being incredibly dangerous and that the divers were ever so brave...

This stuff is simple sensationalism designed to boost ratings. The guy demonstrated that sharks eat fish and tend to display aggressive behavior while doing so (duh).

Not exactly cutting-edge research. The diver gushed on and on about how much knowledge they gained pulling this stunt and how he had waited his whole life for such an opportunity...

My reaction was to change channels.

PhotoTJ · Aug 13, 2003

GQMedic · Aug 13, 2003

If anything, it just serves to entertain me.

flyingcopdiver · Aug 13, 2003

I have enjoyed the programs. you have to ignore the hipe for the ratings and learn from the factual stuff. I participated in a shark feeding dive in feb in the bahamas and really enjoyed being so close to these magnificant animals. the shows only tend to increase my amiration for the sharks and remind me that like all wild animals they have to be respected.:shark:

scubasean · Aug 13, 2003

It makes me want to go more often....

But, most underwater video causes me to think about other diving I'd like to do.

jbd · Aug 13, 2003

any plans I have for diving but watching some of these shows and looking for specific behaviors and responses of the sharks has confirmed some things that I have seen on much more natural footage of sharks.

drbill · Aug 13, 2003

I don't watch much TV so I don't have cable and therefore no Discovery Channel. If I did watch, it would merely confirm to me that the television executives are the real sharks to watch out for... passing such sensationalized nonsense onto the public as "science."

Dr. Bill

Custer · Aug 13, 2003

2 Bar once bubbled...
There's been some great video of interactions with sharks this week on The Discovery Channel. How does this affect your diving? Are you freaked out from the video of aggressive behavior and attacks? Or are you put at ease from the information about how rare attacks are and tips on how to act around sharks? I have only discovery dived once, and am taking certification classes now. I'm about 75% at ease with these sharks I may never see, and 25% freaked out.

:bang:

If you dive salt water a lot, seeing a shark will be the high point of your day.

Does Shark Week Affect Your Diving?

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2 Bar

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Rick Murchison

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