What to do when shark approach?

[Tigerman]

My experience has always been that my camera acts as large animal repellant. Any time I have my camera with me all creatures great and small will stay far, far away.

Always carry a camera and the sharks will stay away...

Come to think of it.. Ive only seen those amazing creatures either from too far away to get a shot or while not carrying the camera at all..
Supports your theory, dont it?

 

[DandyDon]

Don't poke it with your knife. The writer for the Smithsonian article on Great Whites did just that to a medium-sized female Great White. She spun around on him and bared her teeth, as if to say, "You have ONE sharp pointy thing; look how many I have. Don't do that again."

He didn't say in the article if he had to change his wetsuit after that.

Love to see that on video.

Seriously, I've always read it one is seeming aggressive...

Turn loose of the fish you speared;

Look them in the face, as they prefer sneak attacks by instinct;

Get below them if possible as they prefer to attack up;

If they get really close, whack their nose - their sensitive area​

;
Sadly they're vanishing so fast I fear not many of us can test these...?

 

[Hoomi]

So would I, but I don't know if that incident was caught on video.

The article is fascinating; it examines whether Great Whites are the "mindless eating machines" the ads for the movie "Jaws" said they were, or whether they're much smarter than we've previously given them credit for. Scientists are leaning towards them being a very intelligent, inquisitive creature.

You can read the article online here.

One thing the article brings out, that I believe has been mentioned on these forums a number of times previously, is that most shark attacks are more "explorations." If the shark were truly attacking, the victim would be dead in short order. Instead, the shark is curious and unsure what the person is, and so is exploring in the only way it knows how - with its mouth. It grabs, and when it realizes the person isn't something familiar or normally associated with food, it lets go. However, that "exploration" is still mighty frightening and intense, and tends to leave the object thereof with injuries.

The concensus is that the less we appear to resemble "food" to the shark, the less likely it is to "examine" us to see if we are.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Regarding camera strobes and sharks: I had read (sorry, can't remember where) NOT to take a picture (with strobe light) if the shark appeared aggitated or aggressive as this would further "arouse" the shark and maybe provoke an attack?

And I've also read the exact opposite, that the strobe firing at close range would sort of "blast" the sharks sensory organs and drive it off.... anyone know?

Best wishes.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

....

Seriously, I've always read it one is seeming aggressive...

Turn loose of the fish you speared;

Look them in the face, as they prefer sneak attacks by instinct;

Get below them if possible as they prefer to attack up;

If they get really close, whack their nose - their sensitive area​

;
Sadly they're vanishing so fast I fear not many of us can test these...?

Sounds like a good list Don.

I can personally vouch for turning loose speared fish

The effect of a very curious Tiger shark made me also "turn loose" my spear permanently :shocked2:

Best wishes.

 

[ItsBruce]

My experience has been that the polite thing to do is exchange business cards. ...

Seriously though, I would try to act as a predator.

 

[Tigerman]

My experience has been that the polite thing to do is exchange business cards. ...

Seriously though, I would try to act as a predator.

If its one of them suit-sharks it sure is

 

[smile47]

I cut my dive parners leg alittle,or shoot the shark.what ever your going to have a rush.

 

[farsidefan1]

Captn dale took my first answer (take pic). Dandy Don got most the rest with his list. The blast from my reg would be my next step. I have 23 dives that I was fortunate enough to see sharks (nurse sharks don't count) and have never had to do anything but face them, and take pics. Odds of a problem aren't worth worrying about. With respect to the question of how a flash affects sharks Daniel Lenihan, author of "Submerged" head of the submerged cultural resources unit (SCRUM) had sharks go nuts on 2 separate occasions just after setting off his flash. He speculated it was the sound of the flash recharging that set them off. On the other side of the equation has been related by Robert of "Zen Divers" who was finishing a night dive off Hawaii when got one of those feelings and just before he got back on he boat so he turned and a large tiger was almost on him. He fired off his strobes and it veared off long enough for he and buddy to get out of the water (apologies to Robert for my faulty memory of the incident) so in that case it seemed helpfull.

 

[DandyDon]

Regarding camera strobes and sharks: I had read (sorry, can't remember where) NOT to take a picture (with strobe light) if the shark appeared aggitated or aggressive as this would further "arouse" the shark and maybe provoke an attack?

And I've also read the exact opposite, that the strobe firing at close range would sort of "blast" the sharks sensory organs and drive it off.... anyone know?

Best wishes.

I've read both, as well as the theory that the shark may be reacting to the electrical field. I really don't think they are predictable enough to say. The reef & sand tiger sharks I've seen were just too shy for me to shoot much, especially when I exhaled.

Captn dale took my first answer (take pic). Dandy Don got most the rest with his list. The blast from my reg would be my next step. I have 23 dives that I was fortunate enough to see sharks (nurse sharks don't count) and have never had to do anything but face them, and take pics. Odds of a problem aren't worth worrying about. With respect to the question of how a flash affects sharks Daniel Lenihan, author of "Submerged" head of the submerged cultural resources unit (SCRUM) had sharks go nuts on 2 separate occasions just after setting off his flash. He speculated it was the sound of the flash recharging that set them off. On the other side of the equation has been related by Robert of "Zen Divers" who was finishing a night dive off Hawaii when got one of those feelings and just before he got back on he boat so he turned and a large tiger was almost on him. He fired off his strobes and it veared off long enough for he and buddy to get out of the water (apologies to Robert for my faulty memory of the incident) so in that case it seemed helpfull.

Robert told me that story once, long ago, so I could be wrong too - but I thout it was DMing a Flower Gardens boat, going down on a night dive to unhook from a mooring - he said he felt a presence, turned to see a Tiger approaching, but the shark veered off when he turned. The "felt a presence" kinda sounded like something that would grow into a story with repeated telling perhaps, but - if I was going down alone at night, I'd be looking around every change I got too. :shocked2: