Sharks and your experiences

[The Chairman]

I think I may have exaggerated the size of that shark. It might have been more like 12"... but you know how they grow with time.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I think I may have exaggerated the size of that shark. It might have been more like 12"... but you know how they grow with time.

It's a guy thing ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[scubaculture]

Thanks to everybody for your feedback

I have had numerous experiences with Sharks in the water and consider myself to be very lucky. I have been in the water with White Sharks on 5 seperate occasions, and while the experience was pretty terrifying they were very humbling as well, I reckon that has to be the ultimate shark encounter If you are interested, come visit SA and we can go dive the wreck of the Birckenhead.

The reason I started the thread was to get a divers feelings on sharks, I asked the same questions to people I work with who are non divers and also asked "How many species of shark are dangerous to humans?" The replies were pretty sad, 5 people said that any shark would attack a person at any time as we are easy prey???

It was interesting to see people saying Discovery channel is not really helping, but sadly I think a documentary about sharks not involving scare tactics wont get a great response

Again thank you all for your responses!

 

[hvulin]

vow, you are really lucky to see so many sharks...

Here in the adriatic it's VERY hard to see one while diving... (we don't have enough big fish around so not much food for them - and probably too many islands for big fish like that to live by)

My only meeting with them was in the open sea on the fishing boat. We were pulling the net onboard when one 3m shark went crazy of all the blood and jumpped on our stern... Hopefully he was able to jump back to the sea... (before others (fisherman) killed him)

btw. I think it was a blue shark (I know it's croatian name and if litterally translated it would be blue...)

 

[pitah]

What is the first thing you think about when you hear the word shark?
where??... lets go dive there

What experiences have you had with sharks in the open ocean?
they`re are amazing creatures, i have seen them passing and going other place, just the galapagos sharks seems to be more curious about divers

What do you think needs to be done to change public perception?
to inform, to explain, to respect them in their natural environment, try to be informed and tell others what we know about, why they attack, why the`re in risk of extinction, why they`re important in the marine food chain...

 

[Narked_at_60]

I was diving in the middle east, saw a 3 reef tip sharks about 4m each. That was my first experience with sharks, dive site was called Shark island so you would expect to see sharks there. its a big rock that has space for boaters to dock. The max depth was 12 metres. I noticed the sharks at 2m, the island has a reef so when i reached at 2 metres i had seen the dorsal. (of course turning me into a panicked diver and causing my regulator to free flow).

Farid

 

[junior diver]

The first thing that comse to mind is 'how close can I get?'. It may sound stupid but it is what I have in mind when I think of the word shark or more see one. The first shark I saw was about a 4 foot reef shark. I got really close, it wasn't a special shark dive, it was on turtle reef, which has no turtles but didn't see a shark in shark bay (though I did see a turtle).

 

[sea nmf]

I've seen a couple of species but nothing dangerous. It was simply awesome.

Speaking of the "documentaries" done on Sharks, I will say that viewing them over the years has had the effect of lessening my fear, rather than increasing it. I think they do a fair job of reporting both sides.

I remember one film that showed an "experiment" with a diver and white sharks. The premise was that if you swim purposefully toward the shark, it sees you as dominant and will retreat. There was no food in the water at the time so no competition to speak of.

The diver swam toward the shark and the shark retreated. Who knows if it would work every time but it was an interesting experiment.

 

[PapaBob]

This subject never fails to get a huge response. I have experienced the Walkers Cay Shark Rodeo about 4 times over the years and never tire of the experience (unlike Stingray City in Grand Cayman which I only wanted to do once). I have had a lot of encounters with nurse, blacktip and reef sharks here in S. Fla and an occasional bull or hammerhead. I have never felt threatened but always awed. JMHO.

---Bob

 

[northcoast_diver]

This subject never fails to get a huge response. I have experienced the Walkers Cay Shark Rodeo about 4 times over the years and never tire of the experience (unlike Stingray City in Grand Cayman which I only wanted to do once). I have had a lot of encounters with nurse, blacktip and reef sharks here in S. Fla and an occasional bull or hammerhead. I have never felt threatened but always awed. JMHO.

---Bob

You can swim and dive for your whole life in Florida and never feel threatened by a shark. Thats the whole point.