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

[tech_diver]

In all my years of diving, I have never once felt threatened by a shark. The one time a shark did mess with me was while I was surfing.

Did a goofy youtube video about it...

 

[Nick Steele]

I just did a little internet search and I found the odds of being bitten and killed by any shark is 1 in 3.7 million. But it does depend on location and activity. For the USA in 2016 which had 53 attacks of which none were fatal. 6/10 were surfers 1/3 were snorkelers. They contribute this to spending more time on the surface and inside the surf zone.
There’s also was a 2015 Stanford study that said divers are 7000 times more likely to get hospitalized with DCI than be bitten by a shark.

 

[Lucifer911]

What study are you basing these statistics from? What source? You can't just throw numbers out there on a whim.

I can tell you right now your numbers are wrong, especially when you narrow it down to one specific species. A quick internet search shows the odds of anyone entering the water being attacked by a shark is at 1 out of 11.5 million. Actually dying from the attack... about 1 out of 300,000,000.

By the way, I resent your blanket condemnation comment on recreational fishing and hope that if you do believe that, then you practice what you preach and do not purchase or consume anything from the ocean. From trendy sushi to pet food, to beer, or peanut butter or women who wear lip stick, etc.

Surprisingly common fish-based products

sharks are more concentrated in larger numbers in the waters I enter so its definitely not 1 in 11.5 million chance for me.. I'm in agreement with your dying statement as normally sharks take a bite and do not finish the meal and if we have our wits we can make it back to shore and seek medical treatment.

All good you can resent my comment on recreational fishing... I have not fished for 15 years and I did work for a seafood company for 4 years. I despise how commercial fishers screw the ocean just so they can fund their crappy BMW and mansion. Their only concern is profits that's it.. zero conservation for future generations. Recreational fishers frequently break the law in terms of amount of fish they can take per day so I resent them also. Mother nature will eventually take revenge on humans screwing the environment soon enough. I am an advocate of tuna pens though because they aren't randomly dropping large nets to catch as much marine life as humanly possible.

 

[ljpm]

I read an article a few years ago about a rash of great white attacks of the east coast of Australia. The authors had concluded that a number of things factored into the attacks;
1. The attacks were carried out by juvenile sharks just learning what they are supposed to eat;
2. The attacks happened in low visibility (surf) where attacks are more reflex;
3. The water temp was warmer (or colder, I forget) than normal and as a result the off shore current had shifted closer to shore.
I did a quick search and couldn't find the article.

I did find this one and it also provides interesting insight into juvenile great whites.
Young great whites don't have the bite › News in Science (ABC Science)

 

[Lucifer911]

swimming with fish has made me more protective of them I guess and it makes diving more enjoyable with them around me... plus I enjoy recording them with my camera when in the water. Recreational fishers from jetties do not bother me unless they leave fishing line in the water. It's probably the fishers on the boats breaking the fisheries laws the most. I guess I'm bit of a greenpeace fan when it comes to the ocean...

 

[CuzzA]

sharks are more concentrated in larger numbers in the waters I enter so its definitely not 1 in 11.5 million chance for me.. I'm in agreement with your dying statement as normally sharks take a bite and do not finish the meal and if we have our wits we can make it back to shore and seek medical treatment.

Very well, but it's definitely not the statistics you made up.

I happen to live in the shark bite capital of the world and those figures come from the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File. If we look at just Florida, the shark bite capital of the world, according to the math here at Shark Bite Risk in Florida. Chances of being bitten by a shark., the odds of being bit by a shark are 1 in 3 million. I would argue if you are a freediver or scuba diver those odds are likely much less since most attacks are on waders or surfers at the beach in shallow, low viz water.

I think @Wingy made the best point thus far. Use some common sense. Diving with whale carcass' in the water is not common sense. Otherwise go have some fun and don't worry about it.

Regarding commercial fishing, you are barking up the wrong tree. Talk to your politicians. It sounds like from your statement Australia does a poor job managing their fisheries. Of course as I alluded to, if there's no consumer demand, there's no sales and no profit. Don't date women who wear lipstick.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I’m going to play devil’s advocate and say great whites like to eat seals and if I’m not mistaken they swim pretty damn good! Be careful out there.

... and that's what worries me ... I'm built like a seal ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[ystrout]

A couple things to consider:

1. There are WAY MORE surfers than scuba divers in the water at any given time. This increases the odds for surfers based on sheer numbers. But surfers generally are in pretty shallow water lowering their odds.
2. Scuba divers are in deeper water so more likely to encounter most sharks. But we're also underwater and bigger sharks like to strike prey on the surface. Floating on the surface is another story.

I'd say all things equal (10 people surfing and 10 people scuba diving across the region on the same day), a scuba diver is more likely to be mistaken as prey while floating on the surface since they're more likely to be in the shark's territory. Surfers are just in too shallow of water normally.

But again, there are way more surfers than scuba divers and quite a few surfers surf where the lineup if 20 feet deep before rolling over the reef.

In reality though, surfers and scuba divers are both very unlikely to be bit, but it can and does happen every once in a while!

 

[TMHeimer]

I think there are some statistics that mean something and others not as much (ie. as on poster put it, there are more sharks in the waters where he dives, so his chances of encounter are greater, etc.). Then there are those who on many previous threads will compare shark attacks with plane crashes, auto crashes, dog bites and falling coconuts. More people than even in the water, young sharks feeding, very old or injured sharks seeking easier prey. It's all been said before. Sharks are big and dangerous. Anything that's big can be dangerous. I horse with a brain not functioning properly can probably kill you. Many divers love the idea of seeing sharks. That's their prerogative. Not for me.

 

[The Chairman]

the littoral zone is the most dangerous. Low viz with sharks, mostly spinners, feeding in the turbulence, it's just an open invitation for a bite. yes, spearing adds a new dynamic to the system.