Sharks/Fish with teeth: Are they actually a threat?

[RIteen]

Something that occurred to me not too long ago, was the idea of those, rather large, fish with lots of teeth, otherwise known as sharks, barracuda, as well as bluefish! I realise if a Goldfish was so inclined, it could probably injure you, but in reality what is the danger of said fish? I am referring to the Northern Atlantic specifically, home to everything from Great Whites to barracuda, to the infamous "marine piranha"...

I realise that my concerns are probably simply the result of Hollywood and scare-stories, but my idea of fun is not becoming something's dinner...

Cheers

 

[TSandM]

There are really very few documented accounts of attacked on divers by marine life. Most of the injuries occur in divers who have molested said sea life, by trying to catch or hold it, or landing on it

Most areas where Great Whites are common are known, like the Farallons off San Francisco. If you think about it, as apex predators (and big ones!) they're unlikely to be common, unless in an area where there is an abundance of their preferred prey. If you don't dive where there are seal colonies or sea lion aggregations, you're unlikely to be bothered.

I've done 1000 dives (admittedly, none of them in the North Atlantic) and the only interaction I've ever had with sea life where they even appeared to recognize me specifically was what I'm pretty sure was a playful Hawaiian Monk Seal. Don't touch the wildlife, and you're unlikely to have problems.

 

[RIteen]

Lol, I imagine animals don't like people molesting them! Nor do I imagine that they enjoy being used as a ride on toy!

Specifically to your monk seal comment, I have heard seals and the like are quite playful...

 

[TMHeimer]

All my dives have been in the N. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and a week in the Caribbean. No sharks seen yet. Maybe because there just aren't that many left? Haven't seen any of the other real nasties either--Barracuda, Morays, etc. Did see a group of fairly big rays once in the Gulf on a shore dive. Charlie followed them as I mosied on back to shore. I like shells, of course, and little stuff, like flounders or even triggerfish or lookdowns.

 

[Splitlip]

Something that occurred to me not too long ago, was the idea of those, rather large, fish with lots of teeth, otherwise known as sharks, barracuda, as well as bluefish! I realise if a Goldfish was so inclined, it could probably injure you, but in reality what is the danger of said fish? I am referring to the Northern Atlantic specifically, home to everything from Great Whites to barracuda, to the infamous "marine piranha"...

I realise that my concerns are probably simply the result of Hollywood and scare-stories, but my idea of fun is not becoming something's dinner...

Cheers

For the most part, AFAIK, attacks on scubadivers occurred because they put them selves at risk. Either intentionally or unintentionally.

 

[mattpatton]

From my experiences with sharks, I feel that sharks depend on your body language to decide whether you are predator or prey. When you swim away from a shark, it is almost as if he thinks, "Well, he's running from me. Evidently he must know that he tastes good to me. Better check that out." But, any time I have seen a Sand Tiger, Reef Shark, or even bull shark, simply swimming as fast as possible directly towards them, causes them to turn 180 and run away from you.

I have had over 30 encounters with sharks, at least 20 of those involved a bloody stringer of grouper and snapper attached to me. As long as I see them coming, I'm not too worried. It's the ones I don't see that make me nervous. As long as I can see him and act like a predator to him, he'll swim off before I am within 25ft.

 

[PeterNBiddle]

On average there are ~3 scuba divers attacked by sharks every year with only about 20% of those being fatal. To contrast, if you live in the US you have significantly higher risk of being killed by a dog or attacked by a cougar or a bear than attacked or killed by a shark while scuba diving.

Your risk if being attacked or killed by a bear, cougar or dog while scuba diving is probably quite low as well. []

If you have to worry, worry about your buddy, not about sharks.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I've known five divers who have been attacked (serious bites, not just smashing into you) by sharks while diving and one was killed. It is very situational dependent.

 

[RIteen]

Peter: Never know, one might be mistaken as a Salmon!

Dumpster: May I ask where you are, so I can stay well away from any water near you!?

 

[GrimSleeper]

I've never dived in the North Atlantic, so I can't address your specific concerns, but I have dived with over a dozen different species of shark and several species of barracuda. 'Cuda are grumpy-looking buggers, especially if they're doing the tornado swirl around you, and I do still occasionally find myself in the middle of a school of several hundred metre-long Chevron barracuda thinking, 'Bloody Hell, if one of them spots something glinting on my kit and has it, they all will...' But it's never happened. Sharks, generally, aren't that interested, although I've had some... interesting moments calling them with a bottle. Grey Reefs and Silvertips, especially, can get quite agitated if you misjudge the extent to which you're teasing them! Have never dived with Great Whites, but have seen several pieces of video shot by people encountering them in open water without problems.

The REALLY scary fish, at least here in the tropics, are Titan and Yellowmargin Triggerfish, which will defend their nesting sites to an unreasonable degree. Still have the scars from one which swam a good thirty metres from her nest to sink her teeth into my little finger. My Open Water students thought it was hilarious.

And the other species I've encountered which has drawn blood in an unprovoked (ish) attack? The humble clown anemone fish. I found Nemo - and he took a chunk out of my forehead. If clownfish were a foot long, nobody would ever dare get into the ocean...

Specifically referring to sharks, globally there are an average of five human fatalities encounters with sharks a year. Five. A year. Think about how many people get in the water worldwide, and you're more likely to be hurt by a satellite falling out of orbit than you are to be hurt by a shark or other marine predator. Obviously, the equation doesn't work out quite as well for the sharks...