How many fatal shark attacks to stop you diving

[Diver0001]

I'd be also interested to hear in a post below how many fatal shark attacks there have been within this distance of the location you typically dive within the three years?

Foxfish, I'm curious.

I just want to step back from the debate a second and ask you a question. Shark attacks are not and never have been a major risk for divers. World wide there have only been about 220 shark attacks on divers of all sorts over the last hundred years or so and only a handful of attacks on divers using modern scuba gear. Once you're in the water, the boat you're diving from forms a MUCH higher risk to you as a diver than any shark...and yet you seem to be inordinately concerned about it.

What happened that caused you to become so concerned? I'm genuinely curious.

R..

P.S. To answer your question, in my local area there has never been a shark attack on a scuba diver.

 

[Foxfish]

Foxfish, I'm curious.

I just want to step back from the debate a second and ask you a question. Shark attacks are not and never have been a major risk for divers. World wide there have only been about 220 shark attacks on divers of all sorts over the last hundred years or so and only a handful of attacks on divers using modern scuba gear. Once you're in the water, the boat you're diving from forms a MUCH higher risk to you as a diver than any shark...and yet you seem to be inordinately concerned about it.

What happened that caused you to become so concerned? I'm genuinely curious.

R..

P.S. To answer your question, in my local area there has never been a shark attack on a scuba diver.

I live in a region that has one of the highest incidents of fatal shark attack in the world and that includes fatal attacks on scuba divers.

 

[Diver0001]

I live in a region that has one of the highest incidents of fatal shark attack in the world and that includes fatal attacks on scuba divers.

I see you live in Perth so I have no doubt that your claim is true. Help me, though, because I've been trying to tease some statistics out of Google and I can only find a record of one fatal shark attack on a scuba diver since 2002.

What kind of numbers are in your head? Do you believe there have been more fatal attacks on divers in recent years?

R..

 

[JohnN]

I live in a region that has one of the highest incidents of fatal shark attack in the world and that includes fatal attacks on scuba divers.

Yes, apparently six in the last four years. How many fatal car accidents in WA in the same four years?

----------------------- edit ------------------------
Here, let me answer that for you:

[h=1]Crash statistics[/h]Provided for your information and to raise awareness in our community to the waste of our most valuable resource.
[h=2]Fatalities (year to date) - as at 11:59pm, 17 February 2014[/h]

Year	Metro	Country	Total
2014​	5​	7​	12​
2013​	17​	14​	31​
2012​	11​	8​	19​
2011​	11​	16​	27​

 

[lsorenson]

How many fatal shark attacks within a radius of say 300 km of the ocean location you are about to dive would it take to deter you from diving?

I won't vote due to too many variables involved to make any kind of a sound decision on whether I would or would not continue to dive... If were talking about unprovoked attacks on divers, I would have a different view than if it were on folks poking the shark with a stick...!

Sharks don't bother me as long as the vis is fairly good but alligators on the other hand... I have done a few muck dives in the cooper river where the gators are plentiful... Diving by myself for the most part and I would be lying if I did not say that I get spooked from time to time... Don't laugh to much as the vis is usually 3-4' and there are gators up to 12'+ and sometimes poking their head up from where you just finished... "Truth!"

lee

 

[Diver0001]

Yes, apparently six in the last four years. How many fatal car accidents in WA in the same four years?

John, do you have a citation for that? I can't find it. I found a list that showed 4 fatal attacks on divers in all of Australia since 1998, one of which may have been postmortem scavenging and one of which was related to abalone fishing, which is not a normal diving activity.

That leaves two confirmed "unprovoked" attacks in... let's call it 10 years to be safe. In fact, crashes of Quantas aircraft have killed more people in Australia than all recorded shark attacks, regardless of activity, combined.

Foxfish, since most people would agree that flying has a good safety record, and Quantas in particular has an outstanding safety record as airlines go, I hope these facts can help put your mind at ease a bit.

I can understand how it must feel to be afraid of sharks but can you understand that it's most likely bigger in your mind than it is in reality? Some fears are not based on rational thinking and they don't have to be, so I'm kind of hoping we can say something that will help you manage that.

R..

 

[KeithG]

I voted 1 per week as it was the least "offensive" choice. But in reality I would be much more happy with 1 every 2 weeks. 1 the week BEFORE my trip and 1 the week AFTER my trip. Screw the other divers!

But serious OP. get a grip!

Sharks, like dogs & Aussie's have different behaviours. Some may need to be put down, but for the most part they are a friendly lot and generally entertaining.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

We have Tiger sharks here.

We have shark attacks here (none, to the best of my memory, on scuba divers, but some on freediving spearo's)

I have been in the water with sharks here.

I will continue to dive here. :goingdown:

Any questions?

Best wishes.

 

[The Chairman]

I've added a couple of new options to the poll. It sounds as if a number of you don't think the poll was comprehensive enough for you.

 

[fbk]

2 of the fatals in the last 3 years here were on recreational SCUBA divers. One had been spearfishing (but wasn't at the time) and the other was catching crayfish but I don't think that's relevant, at least in the case of crayfish, its just what many happen to be doing.

These 2 incidents in particular have had a significant impact on local divers and the dive industry, since before that attacks on divers were relatively unheard of. I know several others who have had uneventful interactions with GW's, I personally haven't, at least that I know of. Some people I know and dive with are far more conscious of and concerned with the miniscule risk than I am and it would seem Foxfish is one of those. Then there are others who won't even dip their kids toes in at the beach anymore because the media hype has them believing that just below the surface are swarms of "man eating sharks" waiting to eat them alive, a view he seems determined to reinforce.

I'm no greenie and would probably not lose any sleep if someone happened to take out a single large shark that was being a nuisance, but Foxfish I think its pretty clear that you are barking up the wrong tree looking for support on this forum for your views on indiscriminate shark culling.

I don't necessarily mean this directly to the OP, but If you're too afraid to get in the water without needing to feel safer because they've killed a few sharks, stay on land and find a new hobby.