Fear of sharks

[piffle]

I'm considering a dive trip to Cozumel, but being from the midwest and diving only lakes and quarries in the past, my first thought of the ocean is sharks. I wanted to know if others had the same fear and forgot about it as soon as they hit the water or will I spend a week in fear looking over my shoulder.

 

[Code Monkey]

I've been to Coz twice and have never seen a shark, there.

That said, I absolutely *love* sharks.

Many people, when you ask them why they think sharks are dangerous, will tell you to look at the statistics. I think that's a pretty good idea. The University of Florida keeps tabs on shark attacks at the International Shark Attack File. Check them out at:
International Shark Attack File They'll tell you that "Worldwide there are probably 70-100 shark attacks annually resulting in about 5-15 deaths." PADI, alone, certifies more than one million divers a year -- assuming about 10% are of those attacks are versus divers (the shark attack file provides this percentage), that those are the only divers in the ocean (this assumes that people quit diving after they get open water certified), that's about 1/1000 of 1% chance of getting attacked EVER (not killed, just attacked). Now, looking at fatalities, the number of deaths by shark attack worldwide in 2005 was...four. It was four in 2006 as well (I don't remember 2007 but I must admit that 2008 has been a worse than normal year). In 1987 (the last year for which I can find data), more than five times as many people got bitten by squirrels in New York City than were bitten by sharks in the whole United States (though, I must admit, people usually don't lose a limb even to the nastiest squirrel).


You'll find that the number of unprovoked fatal shark attacks is EXTREMELY low (IIRC, you're more likely to be trampled to death by elephants than killed by a shark). Also, the scuba bubbles scare sharks (and many other marine animals). Most of the sharks you see will be from the rear -- as they're swimming away from you.


Some more information: sharks are lazy (as top-tier predators, they have to be or they expend too much energy getting food than they get from the food). Lazy predators don't want a fight -- they want a quick and easy meal. Unless a shark is 1.5 to 2x your size, you're going to be a fight and not worth going after. You are a lot less likely to find those than the small ones. Even then, many large sharks aren't anything to be worried about.


There's more information but that should go a long way to putting your mind at rest.


FWIW, I really enjoy diving with sharks; I go out of my way to do that. It takes a lot of work for my family and me to find sharks and dive with them.

 

[The Surly Mermaid]

First ocean dive I ever did, I had the theme song from Jaws pounding in my head the entire dive. Was nervous as heck. The first shark I ever saw was a Nurse shark, which aren't really intimidating. The first Reef shark I actually saw got my heart rate got jacked up a bit, but I realized really quickly that it wanted nothing to do with me. Now if I see a shark on a dive I consider it a GREAT dive.

If you are the nervous type you may spend the first couple of days looking over your shoulder but by the end of the week you'll probably be over it.

 

[piffle]

Thanks for stats and expreiences. I'm looking foward to diving some warm, clear water. I hope I don't let my fear ruin my trip.

 

[scubaguy655]

My wife was extremely nervous about seeing a shark for the 1st time - not counting nurse sharks.

We were in Little Cayman on a dive and a reef shark came swimming along the edge of the wall. I looked at my wife to make sure she was ok. She looked fine. When we got back to the boat she was in awe and said it was just beautiful to watch.

I agree. In my experience, you are very fortunate to see a shark while diving and when you do, it is a beautiful creature to watch.

Now that being said, I don't want to be in the water with a great white but non-aggressive sharks are a great experience IMO.

 

[Code Monkey]

You'll be fine.

Now, I'm an engineer so I don't deal with absolutes so the best I can do is say that I would be absolutely shocked if you saw a shark while you were in Cozumel. If, by some miracle, you _did_ see one, it'd almost certainly be a reef shark or a nurse shark that would be tremendously scared of you because you are far more dangerous to it than it could ever be to you. When I dive Coz, I resign myself to a shark-free trip (and, instead, pay attention to the shrimp and octopi and sea horses and spotted eagle rays and even the splendid toadfish).

Now, all _that_ said, I've gone *way* out of my way to dive with sharks. I've dived with 13 species of shark including the biggies: great whites, bulls (on 3 occasions), and a tiger. I have never once seen a shark act _remotely_ interested in a diver. Let me say that again: I have never seen a diver in even a little bit of trouble because of a shark.

I hope that puts your mind even more at ease. Enjoy your trip. Coz is a hoot!

 

[scubadiver888]

I'm considering a dive trip to Cozumel, but being from the midwest and diving only lakes and quarries in the past, my first thought of the ocean is sharks. I wanted to know if others had the same fear and forgot about it as soon as they hit the water or will I spend a week in fear looking over my shoulder.

I watched Jaws when I was REALLY too young to be watching it (snuck in to the theatre). Shortly after that a friend was in Florida and got bit by a shark. The things had scared the fecal matter out of me ever since.

When I hit the water I forgot all about sharks. There were so many things to see and it felt so great I totally forgot about sharks. Then one time someone asked me, "did you see the shark?" I was a little freaked. I didn't see the shark. Turns out most guys didn't see it. The moment one guy looked at it the thing took off. It was more afraid of us then I was of it.

I have since seen a shark (once). It was pretty obvious it didn't want to have anything to do with us. I'm still nervous about them but I trust the diver operators know when it isn't safe for us to be in the water. I keep reading up on them and the different species. The more I learn the less I worry.

 

[Grish]

I guess I was a little abnormal. I remember my first ocean dive, being on the boat, and when they mentioned there were a ton of "big fish" (sharks) down there, I lit up like a Christmas tree. The picture in my avatar is from that dive. There had to be 30-40 swimming around the wreck, and it was the most awe inspiring thing I'd ever seen. I think it was mating season or something. I have some incredible pictures from that dive.

That said, most of my friends think I am insane, so take it for what it's worth, haha.

On the dive, though, two guys in our group accidentally kicked a couple of sharks and even then did not get bitten. You don't look like anything they want to eat or have anything to do with. You don't move like anything that calls the ocean home, you make lots of noise, and blow bubbles. Just don't act like an idiot and they will ignore you if not hightail it in the opposite direction.

 

[herman]

I would give you a little better odds of seeing a nurse shark in Coz, I saw a couple the time I was there but they are of no threat as long as you don't go messing with them and by messing I mean pulling their tail or the like. I often take photos of them at very close range-2 or 3 ft and have never had one even move much less act agressive. Your not likey to even see other sharks, they simply don't like all the noise we make and leave long before you know they are around.

On the other end of the scale, here in NC we have lots of sand tiger sharks...big ones in the 10-12ft or better size that we dive with all the time. It is very common to see them up close and personal, many times within arms length but they never bother divers. It is not uncommon for them to buddy up with us and swim along side for while but never in an agressive manner. For whatever reason they don't mind divers in the least unlike other sharks that haul tail at the first sign of divers.

Don't worry at all about sharks and count yourself lucky if you get a quick glance at one......now damsel fish are another matter.

 

[herman]

I guess I was a little abnormal. I remember my first ocean dive, being on the boat, and when they mentioned there were a ton of "big fish" (sharks) down there, I lit up like a Christmas tree. The picture in my avatar is from that dive. There had to be 30-40 swimming around the wreck, and it was the most awe inspiring thing I'd ever seen. I think it was mating season or something. I have some incredible pictures from that dive.

That said, most of my friends think I am insane, so take it for what it's worth, haha.

On the dive, though, two guys in our group accidentally kicked a couple of sharks and even then did not get bitten. You don't look like anything they want to eat or have anything to do with. You don't move like anything that calls the ocean home, you make lots of noise, and blow bubbles. Just don't act like an idiot and they will ignore you if not hightail it in the opposite direction.

Your dive happen to be in NC or close by? Looks like one of our sand tigers and the experience sound very familure.