Shark threat or no? You decide

[Wantonmien]

I agree with Walter, there is less feedback from Asia...

possibly the reason is partly to do with cultural philosophy in that if somebody is attacked by a shark in waters where sharks live then that is all just part of life. Also, while they are probably reported locally, the don't make the press in the West (or Australia, for that matter). If a bull shark kills a person in the Ganges (which happens occaisionally), we're unlikely to hear about it in Europe or America or wherever unless it was a European or American tourist that was involved. How often do you read reports of people being killed by Hippos, which are much more freqent than shark attacks? You can bet your bottom dollar/euro/pound that if a hippo at london zoo stomped on somebody it would be national news in 27 countries.

Some of the species we like to think are responsible for attacks - such as the great white - are entirely absent from asian waters; the oceanic white tip should be there, but strangely seems to be missing from large parts of the asia-pacific region, although tigers and bulls are all over the place.

I will offer one reason why shark attacks are on the decline - which is that since the early 20th century, there were many, many, many more sharks in the ocean than there are today. That is a much more sombre reason than a few unlucky souls who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Love the sharks, before they're all gone.

C.

I'm pretty new (started last year) to diving and must admit on around my 10th dive when the instructor advised "if lucky we may see a shark or two" I was as nervous as hell, but on then seeing a pair of little nurses atop eachother resting, then a white tip swim past, then another -- gone were the nerves and since then I kind of get a little disappointed if I don't see a shark or two on a dive ! Magnificent creatures, I've lost count of how many I had the pleasure of seeing in Asian and Australian waters.

As for 'attacks', well we are diving in the sharks world and they are going to happen on occasion (but less often than a car crash or being on a plane dropping out of the sky ?) but lack of info or any attack or bite from Asia, strange, as we do have sharks around !!

As a matter of interest I searched Asian newspapers for hints or stories related to shark attacks over the last five years and did not find one incident, and for sure in Asia things like that would make the newspapers. In addition some parts of the "Asia" section of this forum are well used by divers in Asia, and if an attach happened locally I'm sure a local diver would hear about it.

Guess more attacks happen in the states as the people eat more burgers and are a little chubbier thus providing a better snack for a shark, whereas in Asia the sharks keep away from the skinnier Asians.

keep well

[lemondiver]

Divers here seem to do more dumb things in the water with sharks........tie speared fish to them and wonder why shark tried to bite leg-it has fish hanging on it, harassing sharks will get you bit, flailing and splashing on surface will get you bit and a lot of sport fishing guys get bit trying to gaff the poor shark while bringing it on board, surfing.