Are sharks more likely to attack surfers, scuba divers, or snorkelers?

[TMHeimer]

the main question is whether a shark is more likely to attack a surfer on a surfboard rather than a snorkeler or scuba diver just floating on the surface?

I've often wondered about that. From what I have read, it seems that unprovoked attack on divers is much more rare than on swimmers, snorkelers, surfers, etc. I would assume that includes divers on the surface (maybe because they aren't usually on the surface that long, or when swimming they just don't resemble what's on a shark's menu?). Doubt there are any statistics on that.
Years ago there was a fatality on the FL panhandle of a fisherman casting out while in (3 feet?) of water on the sandbar (something I've done in the exact same area). The fisherman, however, apparently had extra bait tied to his bathing suit.
You have to define shallow water as well. A fair majority of my dives have been 30 feet or less (including those on the panhandle) and I have yet to even see a shark in over 700 dives. So that obviously includes quite a bit of time floating or surface swimming.
But who knows--I snorkeled for maybe 40 years in like 5-10 feet of water before taking up scuba and never saw one doing that either. Hope the odds don't catch up to me.

 

[Lucifer911]

Surfers account for nearly 60% of worldwide shark attack victims, 30 times more than SCUBA and 6 times more than snorkeling

Yearly Worldwide Shark Attack Summary

I'd say spearfishers are in a close contest with surfers in terms of shark attacks. You have to also consider there is a larger ratio of surfers compared to spearfishers in my state anyway. Spearfishing is restricted to areas not close to a jetty or reserve.

 

[Lucifer911]

2 shark attacks across a 7 hour period in the same region... I'm just going to blame the commercial fishermen and recreational fishers alike for crippling the fish stock hence the sharks are looking for alternative food sources... commercial fishermen are a plague in our ocean.

 

[PugHugger]

Not to cause alarm - but Adelaide is one of the few places I am aware of where a shark has taken a diver. There was a fatality on the Glenelg tire reef in 2005. This certainly does not stop me diving locally (although the cold water does) but it does mean I'm pretty reluctant to dive the tire reef despite what the practical side of me understands.

Places like Noarlunga, Rapid Bay, Edithburgh etc. I've not heard of large sharks being present. Not to say they are not of course.

You'd have to be pretty lucky (or unlucky) to see a large shark in the reef at Noarlunga...

 

[Lucifer911]

You'd have to be pretty lucky (or unlucky) to see a large shark in the reef at Noarlunga...

On most of my snorkel ventures I do venture to the outer reef which would increase probability of seeing a shark. I’m distressed by the whole situation in Perth because a great white was determined to be the shark of both attacks. Great whites are a protected species here so if professional surfers do not like it they can go to Hawaii and stay there. There should be no exceptions in this protection law.

 

[Wingy]

Dear Lucifer (I've always wanted to say that) -

It's a part of living here. In a nutshell - what happened at the Margaret River Masters is easily explained. Don't hold surf comps when there's dead whale carcasses around, the salmon run is on, the water temp is near 18c on overcast days.

Don't go surfing in the same place as where someone else has been bitten a few hours earlier plus the above factors - my son speculated last night the second surfer may have had the "lightning never strikes twice" mentality in his head...or he was just dumb/unaware.

Not too sure how he could've been that unaware considering how small the MR/Gracetown community is and he was a local.

Stats wise there are twice the number of GWS on the west coast of Aus than the east coast. They are also two different "families". Further, after Letecia's death at Kelp Beds further south Dave Riggs (Doco Maker/Bremer Bay Aggregation researcher) pointed out we have two distinct GWS Sub populations - the lighter GWS are coastal where the much darker GWS tend to stick to deeper offshore waters - until we have 170 whale carcasses lying around after a mass stranding. Then the big kids come in closer. Letecias family and the people of Esperance are campaigning for whale carcasses to be towed out to sea which is what happened yesterday. There's footage of two tiger sharks and a very large GWS following the carcass as it's being towed on perthnow.com

Timeline of shark attacks along the Western Australian coast

Gracetown appears repeatedly on that list (Dunsborough is just 'around the corner') as does Cheynes Beach - Kelp Beds surf break.

@Doc - since we got rid of that idiot Colin Barnett and his shark cull our media tend to downplay shark incidents because this premier seems to understand that media influencing potential tourists into believing you WILL DIE if you get wet here is a bad thing.

So Lucifer, if it makes you feel better - buy a shark shield. WA has a government subsidy for people who wish to use them - not sure about SA.

Wetpup and I were standing on the beach looking out and I commented that it "felt sharky" about a year ago just a couple of days after a wave of beach closures due to Sharks. I took a visitor from San Jose down to Gracetown beach about a month ago and I made the same comment...it was overcast, lots of shadows and "murk" in the bay, late afternoon. He was suitably impressed when three fins sliced through the bay in the 20 minutes after I'd tried to explain what I meant.

Ditto diving. After a night dive at Ammo Jetty where something bumped me I learned to not ignore that feeling. Could've been a seal...could've been and most likely was a harmless adorable Port Jackson about 90cm long and my scaredy bone making a decision to get out asap.

Learn to listen to your gut feeling, buy a shark shield if you feel it will make you feel more at ease and happy surfing

ETA @ pughugger - see link, divers included
@ lucifer - I do not see overfishing as a factor here, there's no shortage of food for them ATM with the salmon run on.

 

[flyboy08]

Do your own study...

Get a friend and a surfboard
Get a diver
Get a snorkler

Get a Great White....

May have to run this test a few times.

 

[aquacat8]

My theory is that scuba divers make a lot of weird noise, kind of like a guy with a leaf blower, so we don't seem like a normal food item, and snorkelers and swimmers do not really look like a regular food source either, but a surfer...OH a surfer silhouette looks like a FAT JUICY SEAL that is having trouble swimming.

 

[PugHugger]

@Wingy - yes I was aware a few divers had been taken off of WA also. I agree that it seems the circumstances of the competition were just asking for trouble.

I was actually on a dive with a friend of one of them a few years back. Said friend had a pretty interesting encounter story about a Great White circling them while on their safety stop, a change of wetsuits upon getting on the boat but not until after a reviving two beers were drunk back to back! while still in all dive gear... Same diver though had one dive with 'a lot' f visibility and a family group of humpbacks singing while they were in the water so I'd not rule out a dive in WA...

 

[Wookie]

No. They are not likely to “attack” surfers, snorkelers, or scuba divers.