Fear of sharks

[BanditDJB]

I guess I dont have to look around for a Mako. No one has ever seen one.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

If I'm honest, I'd say I'm afraid of sharks. That worry crosses my mind every once in awhile, but when I'm in the water diving I don't seem to let the worry overwhelm me. The only time I do get worried is when I see a fella diver chasing after a shark or going up and tugging the tale of a sleeping shark.

 

[offthewall1]

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.

There is no reason to fear sharks. I would concur that seeing a shark in Cozumel would be a rare occurrence.... but beyond that, sharks are no danger to divers who are just out there diving.

Statistical fact: In an average year... 3 - 5 people (swimmers, surfers... but rarely divers - unless you're carrying speared catch or harassing the shark by grabbing) are killed by sharks. Last year that number was 1. On the other hand.... more than 100 million sharks are killed annually by people. Who should be worried?

Having dove (on purpose) with wild Bull Sharks, Sand Tiger Sharks, Caribbean and Grey Reef, White Tip and Black Tip, Nurse, Silky and Hammerheads... I can assure you - you're in no danger.

In fact, many divers spend years in the water hoping to see a shark and never do. They ar ebecoming so rare and elusive - there are only about a dozen spots left on earth where you're guaranteed to see them...

so go to Cozumel... and hope that the opportunity to see a shark comes along... but odds are it won't happen...

Welcome to the adventure... Get off the Couch.. Explore Your World!

 

[keyshunter]

Agreed...as much as I love diving with sharks, I would absolutely PEE MY PANTS if I saw an oceanic whitetip.

Are you saying that you don't ordinarily do that?

Seriously, during the 14 years I lived in and spearfished the Keys, I had my share of shark encounters. Probably no diver has more shark encounters than a spearfisherman, because a speared fish is a natural predator attractant. After a while one learns to identify species of sharks and their relative aggressiveness. Any shark can be a problem, but some species and individuals within a species can be difficult. Bull sharks, for example, have a bad rep, but I have had big Bulls swim up to me when I had a newly speared fish, and then calmly swim away. Others have been rather difficult.

I believe that sharks are elegant creatures, certainly worthy of our respect, if not awe. But, anyone who has spent much time around them has witnessed their incredible power and short range bursts of speed. Believe me, if he wants you, he has you. The fact that so few people are attacked by sharks, leads to the conclusion that they really don't want us.

 

[ScubaSteve]

........The fact that so few people are attacked by sharks, leads to the conclusion that they really don't want us.

Very well put keyshunter. I too believe that sharks are an awe inspiring predator that, although beautiful, must be given the respect they deserve. Even the least aggressive breed of shark can harm us. A small shark still has an incredible amount of power behind them.

 

[piffle]

Just finished watching a couple of shows on Discovery Channels Shark Week. The first program showed carefree divers swimming with dozens of sharks and the sharks barely give them a second look. It looks great! But the next show is about people getting attacked. They show pictures of their grusome wounds using words like, ripped, tore, shredded, etc. and suddenly a 50 degree lake with 30' viz does'nt seem so bad. Probably should just chalk it up to tv sensationalism and not give it a second thought.

 

[Bottomfeeder Brodie]

I dive the Gulf of Mexico weekly and my first shark threw my back a knotch but after realizing it was posing for pictures...well....out came the camera. They pose for me every weekend now. 2 ft from his head. Just a 7 ft nurse shark but a shark none the less.

 

[pasley]

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 dove Cozumel in February 2008 and never saw a shark.

If you want to worry about something, why not worry about something real. Lighting strikes resulting in death in the USA from 1959-2007 over 1945 in the COASTAL STATES ALONE! Fatal USA Shark Attacks over the same time period 23. Or how about the average number of deaths in the USA from deer - 130 per year.

But do you look over your shoulder every time you go outside looking for a deer? No? yet you are 130 times more likely to be killed by one than by a Shark in the USA.

As I type this I am watching SHARK WEEK on Discovery. Sensationalized TV and IMHO some very flawed experiments.

Bottom line, in general Sharks are simply not an issue. IF you do see a shark, they are beautiful creatures and you are not normally on their menu if you are not on the surface.

 

[keyshunter]

Uh, Melvin. I agree with your conclusion in general, but, using your data, one is approximately 5.7 times more likely to be killed by a deer.

I often hear these types of comparisons (lightning, bee stings, etc.), but, in actuality, they are invalid. The number of people exposed to sharks is much lower than the number of people exposed to deer, bees, lightning, etc. To be a valid comparison, these differences must be accounted for (think percentages).

But, regardless, the incidence of shark attacks is extremely low.

 

[DivingPrincessE]

I couldn't wait to see my first shark. I have been certified a year and so far have only see one...and I can't wait to see more. I hope to be able to do one of the shark dives in the bahamas next year.