Concerned about sharks? Odds?

[on_two_wheels]

Okay, so Shark Week got me wondering about the odds as a diver. I started looking all over online. Going back to 1959, here's a list of diving related shark attacks I found. Then I looked at commonalities. If you have ever been concerned about getting attacked while diving, rest easy. Unless you're the type to stay inside anytime it rains for fear of lightning, don't drive or ride in a car and never fly in a plane, you're probably going to be fine. While it certainly can happen, we all play the odds (just as we do in the aforementioned actions).

William Covert, 25, was attacked and killed by a 12 foot long Bull shark on September 13, 1995 while scuba Diving near Islamorada, Florida. The shark took Covert's body.

James Robinson 42, was killed by an 18 feet long Great White Shark on December 9, 1994 while diving for sea urchins at Harris Point near San Miguel Island, California.

Ray Mehl Jr. was attacked and killed by a Tiger shark on October 14, 1989 while scuba diving near Kahi Point, Hawaii

Omar Conger, 28, was attacked and killed on September 15, 1984 by a Great White Shark while diving in 15 feet of water near San Mateo, California.

Stephen C. Powell was attacked and killed by an unknown type of shark on July 16, 1976 while scuba diving off Kauai, Hawaii. Powell was bitten in half and the lower part of his body was never recovered.

Rodney Temple was attacked by two Whitetip Sharks on October 14, 1972 while scuba diving at Cane Bay near St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Temple's body was never recovered

Lt. James Neal, 26, was attacked and killed on August 15, 1959 while spearfishing in scuba gear near Panama City, Florida. His diving gear and clothes showed evidence of a shark attack. Neal 's body was taken by the shark and never recovered.

Robert Pamperin, 33, was attacked and killed by a 20 + foot long Great White Shark on June 14, 1959 while diving for abalone near La Jolla, California. Witnesses on the beach said Pamperin was grabbed by the shark feet first and swallowed whole.

As you can see, shallow waters and carrying edibles certainly reduce the odds of safety slightly. However, consider the number of dives that take place in the US including USVI and Hawaii and this begins to be pretty clear that a shark attack on a diver is very unlikely and even less in deeper waters and if you're not hunting. Eight fatal shark attacks on divers in over 50 years in the US. That's even assuming that they didn't specify scuba in 3 of them (while the others do specify). Those may have been freediving. I'll take those odd all day long!!!! More people have died from dog attacks in the US...in 2010!!

Okay...I'm done. Just felt like looking a little deeper (pun) into this since enjoying Shark Week. I'll be diving in 3 days!!

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

Great Post on two wheels. I'll be spearfishing in three days.

 

[on_two_wheels]

Great Post on two wheels. I'll be spearfishing in three days.

Don't worry....odds are still in your favor.

 

[Splitlip]

Keep a camera with you at all times.

The best deterrent I know.

(spearfishing changes the stats considerably.)

 

[on_two_wheels]

Keep a camera with you at all times.

The best deterrent I know.

True....just try to get a picture of one on every dive and you'll never see one. Murphy will keep them away.

 

[BioLogic]

I conclude we women must be safe. Sounds like sharks like men.

 

[elmer fudd]

I view them as large dangerous predators, along the lines of bears and cougars. If you've spent a lot of time in the wilderness, chances are you've been observed many times by these critters without even knowing it. If you encounter one of them odds are nothing will come of it. You're not their usual prey, you might be dangerous and as likely as not they're not hungry at that moment. I've encountered several bears myself and almost every one of them wanted to get away from me pronto, (exceptions: one just kind of sauntered away slowly and another kept peering at me).

Still, I'm not going to push it. They're a big, scary carnivore and I'm not about to interfere with them. Just like you wouldn't mess with a wild bear or cougar, every shred of common sense I've got tells me you don't want to go messing with a large shark.

I think the real reason sharks scare people so much is that we are so far out of our element in the water. In the water we're slow, clumsy, noisy and our senses are severely impaired. Sharks on the other hand are scary looking apex predators who are magnificently adapted to the water.

I think alligators and crocodiles are probably a good illustration of this. On land, nobody's too concerned about them, but in the water they're just as scary as a shark. It's not the alligator that metamorphosed by entering the water, but us. We went from being in our natural environment, where we are well suited for survival, to a foreign environment where we are weak, awkward and insecure.

 

[on_two_wheels]

Except that the animals you compare them to are very territorial. Wander into their space on accident and you can be attacked instantly. Several cases of this with moutain lion attacks here in CA. Additionally, sharks often bite just to get a taste. If it's not fatty enough, they let go. You may be able to walk away from lions and tigers and bears....oh my!!

 

[TB2Scuba]

That is really weird! I have something in common with victim #5 the only difference is our middle name! Mine is Stephen D. Powell not Stephen C. Powell. Wow!!

 

[Stu S.]

We can often see a dozen sharks on a twilight dive in Jupiter, FL. They are no harm to us, and swim past us, and beneath us. Typically we see Nurse, Reef and an occaisional Lemon. We saw the Hammerhead at 33 feet about a month ago, and they are rare. Get to know the shape of the bull shark, and give that one special attention.

Where I am shark aware is at my nearest beach. New Smyrna Beach FL is the shark attack capital of the world. Beats any other place by far. Folks swim and surf there daily with various degrees of concern. When the shark warning is posted, everyone stays on the beach.

North America's top shark-attack beaches - USATODAY.com