Please Can You Help Me With A University Project.

[Joshyb_]

Hi there,

I’m currently creating a book about sharks, for my final year project at university. This book gives a broad overlay of information to help give the reader context, but it specifically focuses on the fear of sharks. I have aimed to look at why as a society we tend to fear them, without many of us ever coming into contact with them. I am hoping to make a conclusion on if this fear is justified, or if it is purely based upon a fear of the unknown brought about by unfair myths and statistics, etc.

That being said, I do not feel I can make a solid argument either way without first consulting regular ocean users, such as yourselves who may come into regular contact with this species. Therefore I would very much appreciate it if any of you could spare some time to give me your views on the subject.

If possible I would like to know the following information, which you can post on this thread if you wish, in a PM to me or in an email (I can provide my email in a pm to you privately).

How you felt about sharks, before you first came into contact with one.

And then after that initial experience and any subsequent ones, how you now feel about them. Maybe giving your opinion if you wish, on if we are right to fear them as a society or are they actually misunderstood creatures?

Any accounts of what it’s like to swim alongside a shark would be wonderful.

Also if your okay with giving me your views on if shark culls are a positive or negative measure to be taken, and if not any that you feel are more suitable.

If you wish to give me any more information or knowledge that you have on the subject surrounding sharks and diving with them, etc. please do so.

I will be using this information in my research and potentially as comments from ocean users in the book. In both cases all the information will be sourced to whatever identity/information you wish to give me such as a name or title. If you are interested on the finished article, I would be more than happy to post some pictures on this thread. Finally there will be a show in London at a later date, which I can give information for when confirmed, I will be showcasing my work there including this book.

Thank you for your time.

 

[NYCNaiad]

1. How you felt about sharks, before you first came into contact with one.

Before I became a diver, I was fearful of sharks because of all of the Jaws movies, the shark attacks I'd seen in the news, Discovery Channel Shark Week & the fact that my 2nd cousin had part of his leg bitten off by a shark on his honeymoon down the NJ shore. (I grew up in NJ and spent my summer weekends down the NJ shore.)

2. And then after that initial experience and any subsequent ones, how you now feel about them. Maybe giving your opinion if you wish, on if we are right to fear them as a society or are they actually misunderstood creatures?

Diving made me completely change my mind about sharks. Pretty much every dive I do in warm waters, I see at least one shark and look forward to it. Most times, sharks are more fearful of us than we are of them. To get sharks to come close to people (e.g., for "shark" dives), boats have to put a lot of chum in the water. Otherwise, the sharks will not come near.

The only time I was a bit worried/hesitant to be around sharks was on a shark dive diving Tiger Beach. They chummed the water and then 30 sharks showed up. It took a lot of courage for me to jump into the water with 30 sharks circling the boat and the same amount of courage to swim up through the circling sharks to get back on the boat when done. My fear was due to all the media/movies saying that a circling shark means instant death. (Side note: I don't participate in baited shark dives now as I believe it changes the sharks behavior in a negative way.)

It doesn't really make sense to fear them since it's more likely you'll be killed by lightning, the flu or even freaking sand than a shark...but the media inflates the problem making more people fear sharks. Sharks are simply misunderstood. Your risk of a shark attack is 1 in 11.5 million and, most times, a shark attack does not result in death.

3. Any accounts of what it’s like to swim alongside a shark would be wonderful.

Sharks move so well in water that it's wonderful to watch them swim. Their slow undulating glide is mesmerizing and then all of a sudden, they will dart away moving so quickly it's astonishing. They don't often come close to you and will veer away if you try to get close to them.

4. Also if your okay with giving me your views on if shark culls are a positive or negative measure to be taken, and if not any that you feel are more suitable.

I personally do not think that the shark culls are ethical, fully thought out or that they actually reduce shark attacks. The numerous shark culls that I have seen documented do not really assess the results.

Even if you are not against the culls ethically, why spend so much money and time to do something that does not provide the needed results? In my job, I can only proceed with a project when I have a clear plan on the pros/cons as well as a plan to determine the results of the project and the definition of project success. My project is only considered successful once we fully analyze the results. Why isn't the same true for shark culls?

I also do not believe that drum lines/baited hooks or the so called "shark nets" are the correct answer either.

This article states it well and goes into more detail: "We are unlikely to ever reach consensus on the philosophical question of whether it is ethical to kill large predators in order to make the natural environment a safer playground for humans. What everyone can and should do is demand a rigorous, fact-based approach to this controversial issue."

I think time would be better spent:

• Putting more effort into education on how to avoid shark attacks
• Improving the emergency response to shark bites
  
• Improving the non-invasive technology to reduce attacks (e.g., anti shark wet suits, "clever buoys", Shark Shield, etc.)

5. If you wish to give me any more information or knowledge that you have on the subject surrounding sharks and diving with them, etc. please do so. In both cases all the information will be sourced to whatever identity/information you wish to give me such as a name or title. If you are interested on the finished article, I would be more than happy to post some pictures on this thread.

You are more than welcome to quote me if you wish or use any of the embedded lines...just PM me. I would love to see the finished article.

Good luck with your project!

 

[Joshyb_]

Thank-you NYCNaiad, this is exactly what I'm after, also I have sent you a pm regarding it's use.

 

[TMHeimer]

In 586 dives to date (10 1/2 years) I have yet to come across one. Have no desire to. They are big and can hurt, even kill you. I has happened to divers. I'm not interested in the chances of it happening compared to other stuff, like car accidents, dog attacks, lightning strikes, being killed by falling coconuts. I have no desire to run into ANYTHING underwater (or anywhere really) that is really big and could do me serious harm. You don't have to be a fan of "JAWS" from 40 years ago to know these creatures a wild and can be dangerous. The decimation of sharks by the fishing industry is appalling. I still don't want to meet one. I don't have a paranoid fear of sharks every time I dive, but I am not like the many who purposely seek them out. I am in a very small minority of divers.

 

[Rilelen]

1. How you felt about sharks, before you first came into contact with one.

As a child, sharks were always a favorite. I was excited but also a little nervous about the idea of being in the water with one, even though I had always loved them from afar. Being next to one with no glass in between you and the shark is a very different proposition.

2. And then after that initial experience and any subsequent ones, how you now feel about them. Maybe giving your opinion if you wish, on if we are right to fear them as a society or are they actually misunderstood creatures?

I saw my first shark on a wreck off Pensacola on my fourth dive after my OW certification. A group of Caribbean reef sharks swam up to us, very curious. I believe there's regular spearfishing on that wreck and they were investigating whether we had any tasty speared fish for them to steal (we did not). I was absolutely delighted. The joy I felt when I saw the first shark swim right up among us is simply indescribable, the more so for being so unexpected. I wasn't afraid at all, I felt bubbly and giddy in excitement. Just writing about it brings a smile to my face. I can't imagine fearing them now - respecting them, yes, certainly. They are powerful wild animals and should be treated as such.

3. Any accounts of what it’s like to swim alongside a shark would be wonderful.

They're beautiful. They remind me of cats, sleek and graceful (and - sometimes - hopeful that maybe you have a treat hidden somewhere on you). Swimming next to one is joyous and hypnotizing, they seem to move like shadows, slipping away suddenly without you even noticing.

4. Also if your okay with giving me your views on if shark culls are a positive or negative measure to be taken, and if not any that you feel are more suitable.

Totally opposed. Any preventative efforts that depend on slaughtering an area's native inhabitants should always be a last-ditch resort, not the first move in our playbook. Understanding when, where, and why shark attacks are an issue is a much better approach to prevention, and requires basic research. Are there particular species (or types of individuals within a species, such as pregnant females) who are more prone to attack? Particular regions or geographic features? Particular seasons/tidal states/breeding status/other environmental conditions? Identifying the problem more precisely should aid in attempts to find possible solutions that are appropriate and uniquely suited to the particular issue at hand and help assist in the development of appropriate deterrents.

Understanding the size and scale of the problem also helps in identifying the scale of intervention required (or indeed whether one is needed at all). Measures might range from the extremely mild (e.g., posting a warning on a rarely used beach for 1-2 high-risk weeks per year) to the much more involved (e.g., legislation requiring users to employ non-invasive deterrent technology, or closing entire areas to human access). But without appropriately identifying the problem, it's very difficult to identify an appropriate solution.