Fear of Jaws

[Budgirl]

The first time I saw a shark, I was snorkelling and almost walked on water to get back in the boat...totally freaked...the next time I saw one I was diving and I knew I had two choices 1)panic and die or 2)maybe get eaten by a shark...I picked the second option and the shark swam on by and it was amazing...it didnt eat me and it was an awesome experience to watch...

It also helps to visualize the experience and how you would react if you see one, that can help control the panic.

Also, I don't consider nurse sharks real sharks...I think of them as salt water catfish (No offense to either creatures - it just helps me feel less anxiety!).

 

[JohnQPS122]

"don't consider nurse sharks real sharks ... I think of them as salt water catfish"

Yes, but I've seen guys on TV catching catfish by sticking their hand in the catfish's mouth and letting it clamp on.

Let's not try that with a nurse shark, okay?

TXSamanatha, just remember that no scuba divers were eaten in "Jaws."

(We won't talk about Jaws II.) :shocked2:

 

[ScubaRich]

txsamantha, If you are going to take up this great sport it does no good to lie to you. If you dive long enough you WILL see a shark. The good news is this really is no big concern and you should relax and enjoy it. You (divers/humans) are not what sharks like to eat! Most shark attacks are mistaken identity. You can lessen your chance of being mistaken for food by not putting yourself in higher risk situations. Low vis areas where rivers meet oceans etc. If you are diving mostly warm tropic areas with vis in the 100+ range seeing pretty fish and coral, you should be just fine.

To make a long answer even longer, I certified my sons girlfriend for an up coming trip to Turks & Caicos. Days before the trip she was crying with anxiety and fear of seeing a shark. Again I assured her that she WOULD see one but not to worry and that she would be fine.

dive #1, I've got her hand and going along a wall 65 feet or so and just up ahead a shark is forageing in the coral for food. Her eyes became the size of hub caps and her breathing became rapid, I reassured her that she would be fine and everything returned to normal.

Dive #2 Another shark dive #3 another Dive #4 We were done with the dive and on the tag line waiting to get up the ladder and some yells Shark! Right under the boat! (girlfriend already onboard) Grabs her mask, fins and snorkel and overboard she went!

Fear of sharks gone replaced by big smiles and stories to tell her family and friends.
A proud moment for me and an education for her. Just thought I would share this with you and hope you can do the same!

 

[Jim Ernst]

txsamantha, If you are going to take up this great sport it does no good to lie to you. If you dive long enough you WILL see a shark. The good news is this really is no big concern and you should relax and enjoy it. You (divers/humans) are not what sharks like to eat! Most shark attacks are mistaken identity. You can lessen your chance of being mistaken for food by not putting yourself in higher risk situations. Low vis areas where rivers meet oceans etc. If you are diving mostly warm tropic areas with vis in the 100+ range seeing pretty fish and coral, you should be just fine.

To make a long answer even longer, I certified my sons girlfriend for an up coming trip to Turks & Caicos. Days before the trip she was crying with anxiety and fear of seeing a shark. Again I assured her that she WOULD see one but not to worry and that she would be fine.

dive #1, I've got her hand and going along a wall 65 feet or so and just up ahead a shark is forageing in the coral for food. Her eyes became the size of hub caps and her breathing became rapid, I reassured her that she would be fine and everything returned to normal.

Dive #2 Another shark dive #3 another Dive #4 We were done with the dive and on the tag line waiting to get up the ladder and some yells Shark! Right under the boat! (girlfriend already onboard) Grabs her mask, fins and snorkel and overboard she went!

Fear of sharks gone replaced by big smiles and stories to tell her family and friends.
A proud moment for me and an education for her. Just thought I would share this with you and hope you can do the same!

Thanks for sharing this story, I got a laugh, And I love the end results!!

 

[vladimir]

Hi Folks. First day on the site. Newbie to diving...

So I did my cert. dive and subsequent dives in a natural springs area where I quickly got over my fear of gators.

Now I'm going to Cabo San Lucas and will be doing a reef dive. I'm looking for tips to get over my fear of JAWS and to not have the Duh, Dum, Duh, Dum theme song playing in my head the whole time so I can enjoy it... My husband just tells me I'm being stupid, but it's a pretty serious fear for me. When Jaws came out my parents took me to see it and I was like 6 years old... I didn't swim again that summer even in the lake. lol

So any tips for conquering my fear??

Thanks...

-sam

Your phobia has a name, so you're not alone.

Discovery Channel - Sharks

Interesting to see that you mention Jaws too.

Selachophobia - the scientific name for an abnormal and persistent fear of sharks - is a serious problem for many would-be swimmers. Sufferers are usually completely unable to swim in the sea, even when reassured that shark nets and other safety procedures are in force.

Some people are so scared of sharks that pictures of them alone can induce panic attacks, and there are many recorded cases of people who are so terrified that they are unable to swim in pools hundreds of miles from the sea, or even to take baths, for fear that they will be attacked by a shark.

The occurrence of selachophobia rose sharply after the release of Jaws, and many sufferers and psychologists attribute a fear of sharks specifically to watching this film. Some scientists have argued that Jaws has been indirectly responsible for the wide-scale and irresponsible slaughter of sharks all over the world since 1975 and has contributed directly to the decline of great white populations as a result.

Selachophobia can be professionally treated in the same way as other irrational fears of things, such as flying or spiders, although finding the right approach for an individual can be difficult. Hypnotherapy, behavioural therapy and medication have all been used successfully.

 

[sinduda]

I always dive with sharks and like the above poster said about nurse sharks, I think of white-tipped reef sharks as big catfish. I have snorkeled above them often, sometimes as close as 2-3 feet...hate that, it scares them away. I dive in the Galapagos and here, every single day lots of people dive with lots of sharks and I've never heard of a diver having a problem.

Ever since I saw a visual of what surfers look like from below (seals), I think that justified the (maybe) irrational fear I have of swimming on the surface where I feel like prey. But below, I'm part of the environment, not prey. Macho sea lions scare me a lot more than sharks and almost everyone thinks of sea lions as cute and cuddly. Perception. Your bubbles scare most sharks a lot more than they could scare you. And ps...diving with sharks all the time, I've never seen them prey on anything...just swim around. Once you get beyond the programming, you will appreciate how remarkably beautiful they are....if you're lucky enough to see one. And once you do see one and nothing happens, that helps eliminate any reservations you might have left.

 

[imwright1985]

Sam yes sharks typicaly feed at sunrise sunset, but Like most of us are saying they usually stay away, might cruise by but with the noise our regs make and the other things in consideration they are typically affraid of us. Seeing a shark can be common in some areas/circumstances and sharks live all over the world so there is no point in trying to research because you are possibly going to see one which is kinda rare and usually they are in the distance (i can show you an area where spinner sharks are very abundant but they are all in 3ft or smaller range). Bull sharks, tiger sharks and a few others are the typically agressive ones but usually it is just a mistake in ID, Most people like nearly all attacked are at beaches and usually surfers but look at the number of people surfing each day and the number of people at beaches, statistics say your safe. Staying calm is arguably one of the most important things since they try conserving energy much like any other animal and preferaby chase after wounded prey and with this approach casually getting out of that area if you are getting concerned to aviod them. In surfing for 10 years i have had one close call with what is believed to be a bull shark and have had 4 shark scares all by piers which have bait and sport sized fish living and traveling near the pilings to gather food themselves If you valuate my scare scenaros Knowingly in a bait fish area with other fish also, being on a surfboard, and time scares occured I would say my scenareo was retarded only capible of being topped by surfing with a bag of fish on the back of my surfboard but the smartness was in casually paddling in and getting out of the water for a while till their bait was out of my surf area

 

[txsamantha]

Okay I'm starting to feel a little less nervous about this. Thank you all so much for your wisdom!!

I'll let you all know how it goes and I'll try not to have a heart attack if I see a reef shark.

OMG. I cannot even imagine paying to find and swim with sharks!! yikes!! Y'all are some brave people. lol

Thanks again so much!!!

 

[ScubaRich]

Good luck TXSAMANTHA! Just an interesting side note, The writer of JAWS, Peter Benchley, Became a life long shark conservationist and regreted ever writing the novel. His main regret was the senseless slaughter of sharks due to the fear after seeing the movie.

When you do see one just control your breathing and enjoy. Back on the boat I bet you'll be !

 

[LIVES4SHARKS]

I would recommend learning the basics about shark behavior. Treat it like you would if you were studying a hiking area that is known for bear or cougar. The more you know the more comfortable you will be. http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/membership/alert-diver/article.asp?ArticleID=551

Most sharks tend to be skiddish of bubbles and of us noisy divers. They have very natural behaviors, but for us humans, they can seem very terrifying. If you see them, take a moment, just be as quiet as you can, enjoy their beauty and relish the great story you will have looking a magnificent creature right in the eye!

Happy diving to you!
Carolyn:shark2:

Ps: Once you have your first shark encounter, you will never forget it and want many many more!

My buddy Wolfgang taking a Tiger Shark out for a ride! She loved to have her belly rubbed too! No kidding!