Question after watching "Openwater" and "USS Indianapolis"

[wonbok]

I recently happened to watch the movie "open water" and also a documentary on the USS Indianapolis. After watching these films, I began to wonder whether you become more vulnerable to sharks when you hover for a safety stop and/or when you wait for the boat on the surface. If you stay still for a longer period (say, longer than three minutes), is it then that you start to attract sharks? It was especially disconcerting to watch the ill-destined divers being attacked by sharks while floating on the surface, because we all have to stay on the surface (though for a much shorter period of time) before our boats pick us up.

Could somebody provide a reason to believe that we are much safer under normal circumstances?

 

[Gary D.]

Could somebody provide a reason to believe that we are much safer under normal circumstances?

Don't look like a seal and you will be just fine.

Gary D.

 

[paulwall]

I recently happened to watch the movie "open water" and also a documentary on the USS Indianapolis. After watching these films, I began to wonder whether you become more vulnerable to sharks when you hover for a safety stop and/or when you wait for the boat on the surface. If you stay still for a longer period (say, longer than three minutes), is it then that you start to attract sharks? It was especially disconcerting to watch the ill-destined divers being attacked by sharks while floating on the surface, because we all have to stay on the surface (though for a much shorter period of time) before our boats pick us up.

Could somebody provide a reason to believe that we are much safer under normal circumstances?

I recently watched "War of the Worlds" (The good, original one, not the terrible remake) and am concerned that the Martians will come down and destroy me in my home, or as I run away screaming.

I also recently saw "Hot Chick" and now am concerned that I will wake up as a teenage skank.

Chill out, they're only movies. You are far more likely to be hit by lightning or killed in a car accident than attacked by a shark. Granted, the USS Indianapolis survivors were in a high concentration of sharks, many were likely wounded, and they were out there for days. The ending of "Open Water" was a contrived set of events - not necessarily the truth.

 

[H2Andy]

Could somebody provide a reason to believe that we are much safer under normal circumstances?

yeah, world-wide shark attack figures. they're incredibly low:

2004 -- 61 attacks
2003 -- 57 attacks
2002 -- 63 attacks
2001 -- 68 attacks
2000 -- 78 attacks

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/statistics/2004attacksummary.htm

shark attacks just don't happen that often. think of all the thousands of
divers getting into the water every year, and you'll see taht 61 attacks
per year is just negligible.

of course, if you see a tiger or a great white cruising by, i'd get back
to the boat

 

[Diveral]

Only 13% of those were against divers. Swimming and surfers are more likely to be attacked by sharks than divers.

 

[jiveturkey]

I've watched lots of sharks from the surface before getting on a dive boat. Never had cause for concern.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Yep, playing in the surf in 4 ft of turbid water is far more likely to result in your being mistaken for food.

 

[Charlie99]

Only 13% of those were against divers. Swimming and surfers are more likely to be attacked by sharks than divers.

OTOH, the numbers of swimmers and surfers, and the total number of hours they are in the water is probably far more than the total number of divers and total number of hours divers are in the water worldwide. Assuming that swimmer+surfer hours is more than 8 times that of diver-hours, then diving is more dangerous.

Now let's talk about what percentage of the divers had speared fish nearby ..........

 

[H2Andy]

Assuming that swimmer+surfer hours is more than 8 times that of diver-hours, then diving is more dangerous.

welll... more dangerous than what?

do you know how many people die around the world in a single day from car accidents?

i can bet you anything it's more than 61. and that's just a day. imagine
how many die in a year.

and yet, we get in our cars and drive to the dive site and don't think
about it twice.

 

[MoonWrasse]

I recently happened to watch the movie "open water" and also a documentary on the USS Indianapolis. After watching these films, I began to wonder whether you become more vulnerable to sharks when you hover for a safety stop and/or when you wait for the boat on the surface. If you stay still for a longer period (say, longer than three minutes), is it then that you start to attract sharks? It was especially disconcerting to watch the ill-destined divers being attacked by sharks while floating on the surface, because we all have to stay on the surface (though for a much shorter period of time) before our boats pick us up.

Could somebody provide a reason to believe that we are much safer under normal circumstances?

Those sharks were specially trained by the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was a similar program to the one of floating numerous paper balloons across the Pacific ocean to bombard the United States.

Fortunately, the war is over so no worries