Fear of Sharks, need advice

[Jon C]

David,

I had the good fortune to view a Great White up close a couple of years ago when diving on Molokini. Certainly a lot of emotions during and after, but I was convinced it never had any attention to "feed" when it approached us. There were a lot of snorkelers in the crater at the time and it chose to swim away. Sharks have been developing their feeding habits over millions of years, they are usually very particular on what they exert energy to catch.

That having been said, if you splash around the surface, have a string of speared fish, swim in murky water, play in the water with seals, or apply lard to your wetsuit, your chances would likely increase that you would attract unwanted attention.

Here is the link to my encounter. You will notice the rarety of Great Whites in Maui. Others will have to speak on the number and habits of Tigers or Bulls.

At the end of the day, I was honored to have shared the water with it...and live to share the photo!!

Jon


http://www.research.noaa.gov/spotlite/archive/spot_whiteshark.html

 

[SharkDiver36]

I have well over 1,000 dives with sharks and I'm still here.

I've kicked them, stepped on them and damn near stuck my head in their mouth on more than one occassion and I'm still here.

I'm not saying sharks aren't dangerous, quite the contrary. There are a couple of things you can do to stack things in your favor to help avoid a potential mishap.

1) When diving in known shark water, or where you know sharks are get to the bottom quickly. Avoid lingering near the surface for an extended period.
2) Avoid diving in murky or low visibility water when you know sharks are present (depending on spiecies in the area).
3) Don't bait/feed them.
4) When coming face-to-face with a shark stay calm and stay still. Don't get into a "which way do I go" movement. They will go around you, hold your ground.
5) Avoid diving in known feeding areas of the "big" predators where a food source is always present (seals, etc..).

Shark attacks are usually as simple as being in the wrong place at the wrong time none of which you know until you actually get in the water with them. There are a few spieces I would avoid diving with though unless I was caged; White's, Bull's and Tigers. That said, I have been in the water with all three without a cage though it wasn't planned it was just dumb luck if you can call it luck at all.

And as always with any wild animal if you don't bother them, they won't bother you (for the most part).

The cage dive is actually good advice too. It would also help if you could actually get in the water with some experienced divers who've been in the water a bunch of times with sharks.

It also wouldn't hurt to read about the sharks in the waters you dive with. Find out what behaviors are "normal" and what types of "body langauge" they use when they get aggitated or aggressive; that's important to know.

One other thing that's in your favor, you sound like Darth Vader underwater, that's not a natural sound! They might get curious but that's about it for the most part, just remain calm and still and things should be just fine. That said, thank god I was in a wetsuit on my first few dives with them, I think I pissed myself

There are probably people that will read this and disagree with some of what I've said but that's them. I've done low-vis and night dives with sharks before but everything we know about them says perhaps that's not the best time to do it either, unless were caged or chain-maled up.

Good luck with the shark dives! They are amazing creatures. If you look at them when the sun hit's their body just right you can almost swear you can see muscle/bone structure (they don't have bones). They are amazingly manuverable and super, super fast when they want to take off.

Have fun!

 

[Carribeandiver]

heard of the Cookie Cutter Shark>? They swim around deep deep during the day and come to the surface at night. These little guys take round chunks from their victims; hence, the name Cookie Cutter. Do you make night dives? Wear neoprene? If yes to both of those, be afraid, be very afraid.

 

[gangrel441]

Actually, I believe there is a killer in the ocean more potent than microbes....

Dihydrogen Monoxide! One of the most dangerous substances on earth!

http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

Not shown in YouTube, no startling videos.

Not on any "what will kill'ya list" that is fun to read.

What will kill you? What to really worry about?

Microbes. The little, tiny invisible stuff.

It's the little stuff. That's what you should worry about.

Invisble. Can't even see it. Take a dip in a microbial soup... the ocean.

More people die (by far) from that ocean creature than any other.

Kill you deader than Nixon.

Go worry about that.

Anything else concerning you?

 

[justleesa]

heard of the Cookie Cutter Shark>?

Since he says he dives mostly in Hawaii I think he's safe

 

[3-Ring Octopus]

Kitchener, eh? Back near my old home.... On the bright side, if you get certed and dive locally during the summer, there aren't any sharks to watch out for at home....

As far as encounters out in the wide open spaces...we dive a site that has had several unprovoked attacks on surfers by white sharks. I've never seen one at depth (then again..with average visibility at 5' or less...I'm sure there are a lot of things I haven't seen that are there..) and what's more, I doubt that a noisy, rubber and metal smelling thing that sits very near to the bottom blowing a steady stream of bubbles is going to look appetizing to them. (Whites being visual ambush predators that like to strike from below anyway...it'd be hard to imagine one "mistaking" us for anything when we're at the same depth as it is or below it..)

Then again too...the first little thought that went through my mind two weeks ago when a harbour seal yanked on my fin was, "Well...I guess this is it...it'll be a great story for the local news...". So go figure....

I'm not sure if I helped your fear any...but rest assured that if you dive locally back east as opposed to Hawai'i, you never have to worry about sharks. (Now musky's are a different story altogether... ..LOL)

Cheers,
Austin

 

[wyatt2323]

Thanks John. It's really nice to get a scientice perspective, rather than the usual "you're worried about nothing". I am seeing that respect for this creature is important.
David

 

[deepblueme]

My favorite is "more people are killed by Coke machines falling on them" than are bitten by sharks worldwide (yes that is bitten not killed).

 

[drbill]

I worried about this back in the 60's when I started diving (just fresh water in the early years, no sharks). Now, after 38 years of diving in Catalina waters where great whites are known to reside, I have yet to even see one underwater. I think it's because they see me first and hightail it out of the area.

I wouldn't worry as long as you don't dive murky water or remain at the surface for a long time. Even then I wouldn't worry too much in most dive areas.

 

[Jon C]

My favorite is "more people are killed by Coke machines falling on them" than are bitten by sharks worldwide (yes that is bitten not killed).

Let's be clear...that was DIET coke. All the chemicals made the cans/machines top heavy.

Note: There have been NO recorded deaths by A&W Root Beer machines.