How many fatal shark attacks to stop you diving

[Diver0001]

Foxfish, given that literally everyone else on this thread is telling you that you're off base, are you willing to consider the possibility that you *are* off base?

Living life is not a risk-free endeavour, mate. I don't think anyone here will tell you that you *can't* be killed by a shark, but the fact is that in terms of the whole scale of risk to which we are exposed during a typical day (or a typical dive day), it doesn't even ping on the radar.

I know you feel passionately about this but I would like to encourage you to at least consider the possibility that it's bigger in your mind than it is in reality. Could you meet us 1/2 way on that?

R..

 

[Foxfish]

The phrase in the poll indicating 'I don't care' about the risks involved clearly means that a diver has no regard for their personal safety or the conditions in which they are diving even if a fatal attack was inevitable.

Clearly Bob at post #179 'does care' about his personal safety so in his case, selecting the 'don't care' option would be wrong.

---------- Post added February 22nd, 2014 at 08:34 AM ----------

Scuba divers have one of the most effective deterrents against shark attacks: Bubbles. No fish likes them and that includes sharks. If you encounter an aggressive sea creature a quick pop of bubbles from your regulator will send them running.

I'd be interested in research that supports this claim.

---------- Post added February 22nd, 2014 at 08:50 AM ----------

Foxfish, given that literally everyone else on this thread is telling you that you're off base, are you willing to consider the possibility that you *are* off base?

Living life is not a risk-free endeavour, mate. I don't think anyone here will tell you that you *can't* be killed by a shark, but the fact is that in terms of the whole scale of risk to which we are exposed during a typical day (or a typical dive day), it doesn't even ping on the radar.

I know you feel passionately about this but I would like to encourage you to at least consider the possibility that it's bigger in your mind than it is in reality. Could you meet us 1/2 way on that? R..

I appreciate your concern. I have been careful on this thread to avoid giving any indication of what I consider to be an unacceptable level of risk. I have said that a person who indicates they 'don't care' how high the level of risk is and therefore who has no concern for their safety is not an option I wanted to represent on the poll.

I chose 1 fatal attack per week to represented an upper limit of what I'd expect a rational if misguided diver to select. As a number of people have noted, this is entirely fictitious and has never occurred any where in the recorded history of fatal shark attacks.

If you believe on that basis that my perception of risk from a shark attack is inflated then there probably isn't much I can say to convince you otherwise except I disagree.

 

[The Chairman]

'I don't care' about the risks involved clearly means that a diver has no regard for their personal safety or the conditions in which they are diving

Nah, it just means that they aren't fazed by the presence of sharks. I often worry about the humans on the boat, the weather as well as currents and of course any other mitigating factors that might be present. Sharks just aren't on that list to consider before I dive.

I chose 1 fatal attack per week to represented an upper limit of what I'd expect a rational if misguided diver to select.

Which is shenanigans since we don't even have 50 deaths worldwide in a year due to shark feedings. Florida lead the world last year in fatal shark attacks. All of these happened in the surf zone where visibility is severely limited. Not one Scuba Diver death in Florida last year was attributed to sharks. However, there were a litany of other factors that caused the demise of many divers. This is why your poll is flawed: it misses the real danger of a shark attack. Now, go ask surfers and beach goers if it affects them at all. They're the ones who are the target of the vast, vast majority of shark feedings.

As for bubbles... try it yourself. I've used them on all sorts of creatures. Some inadvertently. Watch how the fish react when you breathe underwater: they tend to scatter when you exhale. I've scared off gators, snakes, an otter, a couple of sea turtles and one shark. They aren't natural in the underwater environment.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I too have scared off a shark that was coming for me. It wasn't my breath bubbles though. It was the release of air from my BCD. You see, as I watched the shark coming for me, I'd been inhaling and was rising in the water column. Being somewhat distracted for obvious reasons, I automatically vented my BCD and at that rush of air, the shark suddenly swerved and swam away. Once I was confident it wasn't going to be coming back around, I too turned away and caught up to my buddies.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I'd call culling of sharks in general a damn sight more misguided. Again if someone is that scared and not willing to risk getting eaten, stay out of the water. Take up tennis.

But stay out of our business and stop killing animals for being animals.

Your definition of acceptable risk is nothing but total horsecrap as far as I, and it seems many others, are concerned.

I wonder what you are getting out of this? What is happening to the sharks that are killed?

How are they being disposed of?

Who is getting financial kickbacks off of this?

Does your job depend on doing this? IF it does - quit!
What is the problem? Something becomes an inconvenience or annoyance - kill it. I am so utterly disgusted at the level of stupidity and alarmist behavior displayed by this whole course of action.

I smell a politician or political appointee. No one else twists facts, makes up rules for others, and just can't see simple logical solutions. It always has to be about "looking out for our best interests" without giving a rats hind end about what we think our best interests are. All the while someone, somewhere is getting a fatter wallet for being a pain in the butt and making kneejerk decisions and pulling solutions out of their butt.

In this country we have enough of them to fill a big deep dark hole. Problem is we can't toss em in there and cover it with concrete.

 

[ianr33]

I'd call culling of sharks in general a damn sight more misguided. Again if someone is that scared and not willing to risk getting eaten, stay out of the water. Take up tennis.

But stay out of our business and stop killing animals for being animals.

Your definition of acceptable risk is nothing but total horsecrap as far as I, and it seems many others, are concerned.

I wonder what you are getting out of this? What is happening to the sharks that are killed?

How are they being disposed of?

Who is getting financial kickbacks off of this?

Does your job depend on doing this? IF it does - quit!
What is the problem? Something becomes an inconvenience or annoyance - kill it. I am so utterly disgusted at the level of stupidity and alarmist behavior displayed by this whole course of action.

I smell a politician or political appointee. No one else twists facts, makes up rules for others, and just can't see simple logical solutions. It always has to be about "looking out for our best interests" without giving a rats hind end about what we think our best interests are. All the while someone, somewhere is getting a fatter wallet for being a pain in the butt and making kneejerk decisions and pulling solutions out of their butt.

In this country we have enough of them to fill a big deep dark hole. Problem is we can't toss em in there and cover it with concrete.

You just don't get it Jim. ITS FOR THE CHILDREN !

If it saves just one child's life, then surely it's worth killing a million sharks ?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

The phrase in the poll indicating 'I don't care' about the risks involved clearly means that a diver has no regard for their personal safety or the conditions in which they are diving even if a fatal attack was inevitable.

Clearly Bob at post #179 'does care' about his personal safety so in his case, selecting the 'don't care' option would be wrong.

... which is why Bob didn't vote in your poll ... because there are no options available that would allow me to provide an honest answer ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

---------- Post added February 22nd, 2014 at 03:16 PM ----------

As for bubbles... try it yourself. I've used them on all sorts of creatures. Some inadvertently. Watch how the fish react when you breathe underwater: they tend to scatter when you exhale. I've scared off gators, snakes, an otter, a couple of sea turtles and one shark. They aren't natural in the underwater environment.

... with the exception of male sea lions who compete for females by, among other behaviors, facing off and blowing bubbles at each other. When a young alpha male confronts a diver it's because he thinks you're saying "I want your woman". As a diver, I'd like to learn sea lion for "she's fat, hairy and smells bad ... seriously dude, she's all yours" ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Hank49]

Why do orcas kill white sharks? If sea lions knew how, would they kill white sharks? My guess is yes, in a heart beat. And not for food. For safety.

 

[drrich2]

Sea lions are a natural prey of white sharks, which specifically hunt them routinely. They would indeed prefer the sharks be dead. Just as smaller fish would prefer the sea lions weren't around.

We are not the natural prey of white sharks. If they selectively preyed on us routinely, that would be a different issue.

Richard.

 

[Foxfish]

I'd call culling of sharks in general a damn sight more misguided. Again if someone is that scared and not willing to risk getting eaten, stay out of the water. Take up tennis.

But stay out of our business and stop killing animals for being animals.

So far on this thread the only ones saying anything about culling are the people on your side of the debate. It has nothing to do with the OP or the poll. It is 'off topic'. You have been one of the most vocal on the topic.

I've simply noted that at some point the risk of a fatal attack becomes unacceptably high. I've used the number of fatal attacks in an area as a measure of that risk. I've then asked divers to identify at what point they would refrain from diving based on that measure. Simple.

From a global perspective, 5 fatal shark attacks in a twelve month period in a region similar in extent to the one defined in the OP stands as an all time high. I'd infer for most people and communities this represents the upper bound to the level of risk they will tolerate.

If we believe claims made by yourself and others, you accept a much greater level of risk than has ever been experienced in the past anywhere in the world. I intended the poll to accommodate that up to a point.

---------- Post added February 22nd, 2014 at 06:33 PM ----------

... with the exception of male sea lions who compete for females by, among other behaviors, facing off and blowing bubbles at each other. When a young alpha male confronts a diver it's because he thinks you're saying "I want your woman". As a diver, I'd like to learn sea lion for "she's fat, hairy and smells bad ... seriously dude, she's all yours" ...... Bob (Grateful Diver)

LOL. Yes, I've also heard that story about sea lions blowing bubbles.