Shark Bite risk

[vladimir]

I feel like we're not paying enough attention to the real statistic here - just the sheer massive number of sharks that we kill. I still can't understand why the conversation always revolves around possible shark bites when the reality is that we are far, far, far more bloodthirsty killers than sharks could ever hope to be.

Because we are recreational scuba divers, not shark finners? Because each of us is pretty confident we'll never kill a shark? Because the thread is about shark-bite risk and you are free to start a new thread about shark slaughter whenever you want? Just guesses, of course.

 

[boulderjohn]

When you look at total shark fatalities, see if you can filter the total by where the attack occurred and what the victim was doing. You will find that the vast majority were surface swimmers, usually in the poor light of early morning or late afternoon. Attacks on divers are extremely rare.

 

[eponym]

The typical dusky whaler (Carcharhinus obscurus) is just a bit smaller than the great white (Carcharodon carcharias). I've seen groups of them when diving the Sydney Heads / Manly Beach area in Australia. They never seemed to pay me any mind, just cruised by well off the reef structure in deeper water.

I think of these apex predators as '50s teenagers with a pack of camels in a rolled-up t-shirt sleeve, too cool for school. Too cool to come into the relative shallows where we are.

I recently met a man who works as a safety diver for film crews. He carries a short length of pvc. He says that a sharp tap on the lateral line of an inquisitive shark will put an end to the encounter.

Just anecdotes, no hard science . . .

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I feel like we're not paying enough attention to the real statistic here - just the sheer massive number of sharks that we kill. I still can't understand why the conversation always revolves around possible shark bites when the reality is that we are far, far, far more bloodthirsty killers than sharks could ever hope to be.

So when we speak of the dangers of Malaria, must we always preface our comments with a reference to the quantity of mosquitoes that man has killed(each year)? Isn't THAT the real issue?

 

[vladimir]

So when we speak of the dangers of Malaria, must we always preface our comments with a reference to the quantity of mosquitoes that man has killed(each year)? Isn't THAT the real issue?

Gee, that's a terrible way to frame it, analogizing sharks to mosquitos. Mosquitos are pests, and a pestilence. Sharks are, in the grand scheme of things, almost completely harmless to the human race. You could argue that they keep ecosystems that we rely on for food healthy. No, the reason we don't need to discuss the reprehensible slaughter of sharks in this thread is because that's not what the thread is about.

 

[TMHeimer]

I think the chance to get a bite is a little higher than one in 10 million in this situation. The potential for a shark bite is very situational dependent. If you are in the wrong place, at the wrong time, in the wrong situation, the probability is not negligible. I know several people who have been bitten.

Bull sharks rush camera off of Jupiter

Don't know why, but I just tend to agree with this. I don't want to be "mistaken" for prey because the viz isn't better than 5 feet. Or be mistaken for a surfer while I'm surface swimming back to shore or the boat. Yes, scuba divers do spend a bit of time occasionally on the surface--like turtles and seals.

 

[3D diver]

Dove once with a guide at Catalina who grabbed a horned shark, spit out his reg, and posed with it in his teeth.

 

[drbill]

I try to avoid lightning storms (living on an island off SoCal helps greatly), vending machines, trees laden with ripe coconuts, etc.

 

[Hank49]

I think the chance to get a bite is a little higher than one in 10 million in this situation. The potential for a shark bite is very situational dependent. If you are in the wrong place, at the wrong time, in the wrong situation, the probability is not negligible. I know several people who have been bitten.

Bull sharks rush camera off of Jupiter

Bull sharks rush camera attack spear gun and speared fish - Spearboard.com - The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Boating Social Media Forum

Here's some spearfishermen's views on that video. Different perspective. Divng with sharks as they cruise down a reef wall and diving with them with wounded fish in the water is very differrent.
I fear surfing in dirty water far more than just scuba diving with sharks.
When spearing fish, you don't have time to fear them. It all happens so fast.