Concerned about sharks? Odds?

[on_two_wheels]

... that's because biting into a scuba tank makes 'em fart ...



Actually, humans aren't on their menu ...

... but you can always tell when there's a shark show on TV, because this topic will show up ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Shark show? More like Shark WEEK!!

 

[Peter_C]

Of course, this list is ONLY those from the US, resulted in a fatality and were scuba diving.

Then you need to delete a couple of your dead participants. They were free diving for abalone, like Omar Conger. If you include ab divers and free divers you missed a few! Randy Fry had his head bitten off. Marco Flagg was bitten while scuba diving in 40 feet of water, except he lived.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Shark week is interesting if you are interested in the biology of the sharks. But Discovery Channel uses it to sensationalize the sharks in some of their shows. The Air Shark series has great videos in slow motion of high speed attacks, but they had to go to extreme lengths to get those photos. In many ways, I think Shark Week does a disservic to the diving community by making it appear that sharks are in attack mode a lot. But what they have to do to get to that stage is not shown on TV. They have to chum the waters, sometimes for hours, to get the sharks to the boat for the photography. So while the shows sell, and are interesting in some respects, they also really distort the public's perception of sharks in some shows. Others show the sharks as they really are, rarely inclined to bite people and trying to stay away from trouble.

SeaRat

 

[on_two_wheels]

Then you need to delete a couple of your dead participants. They were free diving for abalone, like Omar Conger. If you include ab divers and free divers you missed a few! Randy Fry had his head bitten off. Marco Flagg was bitten while scuba diving in 40 feet of water, except he lived.

I identified that it was giving the benefit of the doubt because some stated "diving" while others said "scuba diving." I clarified that they could have been free diving but wasn't sure. Those that were vague I tried unsuccessfully to find more clarity. That's why I added the caveat that they may not have been scuba diving. As for Flagg....I also clarified previously that these were fatalities. Therefore, he is thankfully not on this list. So essentially, everything in your post had been covered previously.

 

[Deefstes]

Well, I just looked up a site that had the total USA fatal shark attacks. It was 9 in the past 10 years or .9 per year.

So it's safe to assume that this year another 0.9 person will be killed by a shark? I wonder which is the 10% of him that will survive.

 

[Peter_C]

I identified that it was giving the benefit of the doubt because some stated "diving" while others said "scuba diving." I clarified that they could have been free diving but wasn't sure. Those that were vague I tried unsuccessfully to find more clarity. That's why I added the caveat that they may not have been scuba diving. As for Flagg....I also clarified previously that these were fatalities. Therefore, he is thankfully not on this list. So essentially, everything in your post had been covered previously.

Not trying to be a jerk, just trying to be accurate. Three of the ones on your list were not scuba diving at the time of the bites taking place. Just making sure your stats are correct. So whether everything in my post was covered or not, your first post had incorrect information compared to later post that I quoted.

Most people that are bitten by a Great White shark live. My neighbor was one of them and now has a book out, and is a shark advocate. He was body boarding at Stinson Beach. Read looking like a seal/sea lion in the surf.

Here is a nice list of all fatal shark incidents.
wikipedia _unprovoked_shark_attacks_in_the_United_States

 

[on_two_wheels]

Actually, I was accurate by stating "That's even assuming that they didn't specify scuba in 3 of them (while the others do specify). Those may have been freediving" in my original post. I didn't want to assume the lack of the word scuba meant freediving. Where did you ascertain that they were for sure freediving? I did try to narrow it down but when I couldn't find anything to actually state FREE or SCUBA (merely diving) I figured I'd just leave them on the list.

Additionally, if anything, it the small numbers while including those only supports that the fear of sharks isn't a necessary one. Is Santa Rosa near the "Red Triangle" as it's called?

 

[diver 85]

Pretty good odds of not dying from a shark attack???----I'll take em.......

 

[Peter_C]

On Two Wheels, much like you I studied shark incidents and am always curious about what I might encounter on a dive. Yes, the majority of my dives are in the Red Triangle. Monterey which is one of California's most renowned dive areas is smack in the middle of the Red Triangle. A majority of the Great White incidents are right around where we scuba dive. In fact I have dove where a few of them occurred. Scootering or swimming on the surface leaves me a little edgy if we are not well inside the kelp line.

As to how I knew about that they were free divers and such...google is your friend! I did immediately recognize Omar's name and know there are almost no scuba divers that have ever been bitten underwater.

 

[Tresguey]

I really enjoy Shark Week. Been watching it for years. This year the little woman was interested enough to watch some shows with me. That was a HUGE mistake. She swears that every time I jump in the water I will be surrounded by sharks....LMAO. I guess the unaware may think that by just watching some of the shows on Shark Week. I argued with her for hours and still could not convince her. Now I am glad someone posted on this. Maybe this will help.