HOW TO FEND
OFF A SHARK
Hit back.
If a shark is coming toward you or attacks you, use
anything you have in your possession—a camera,
probe, harpoon gun, your fist—to hit the shark's eyes
or gills, which are the areas most sensitive to pain.
Make quick, sharp, repeated jabs in these areas.
Sharks are predators and will usually only follow
through on an attack if they have the advantage, so
making the shark unsure of its advantage in any way
possible will increase your chances of survival.
Contrary to popular opinion, the shark's nose is not
the area to attack, unless you cannot reach the eyes or
gills. Hitting the shark simply tells it that you are not
defenseless.
How TO AVOID AN ATTACK
• Always stay in groups—sharks are more likely to
attack an individual.
• Do not wander too far from shore. This isolates
you and creates the additional danger of being too
far from assistance.
• Avoid being in the water during darkness or
twilight hours, when sharks are most active and
have a competitive sensory advantage.
• Do not enter the water if you are bleeding from an
open wound or if you are menstruating—a shark is
drawn to blood and its olfactory ability is acute.
• Try not to wear shiny jewelry, because the
reflected light resembles the sheen offish scales.
• Avoid waters with known effluents or sewage
and those being used by sport or commercial
fishermen, especially if there are signs of bait fish
or feeding activity. Diving seabirds are good
indicators of such activity.
• Use extra caution when waters are murky and
avoid showing any uneven tan lines or wearing
brightly colored clothing—sharks see contrast
particularly well.
• If a shark shows itself to you, it may be curious
rather than predatory and will probably swim on
and leave you alone. If you are under the surface
and lucky enough to see an attacking shark, then
you do have a good chance of defending yourself
if the shark is not too large.
• Scuba divers should avoid lying on the surface,
where they may look like a piece of prey to a
shark, and from where they cannot see a shark
approaching.
• A shark attack is a potential danger for anyone
who frequents marine waters, but it should be
kept in perspective. Bees, wasps, and snakes are
responsible for far more fatalities each year, and
in the United States the annual risk of death
from lightning is thirty times greater than from
a shark attack.
THREE KINDS OF SHARK ATTACKS
"HIT AND RUN" ATTACKS are by far the most
common. These typically occur in the surf zone,
where swimmers and surfers are the targets.
The victim seldom sees its attacker, and the shark
does not return after inflicting a single bite or
slash wound.
"BUMP AND BITE" ATTACKS are characterized by
the shark initially circling and often bumping the
victim prior to the actual attack. These types of
attacks usually involve divers or swimmers in
deeper waters, but also occur in nearshore shallows
in some areas of the world.
"SNEAK" ATTACKS differ: the strike can occur
without warning. With both "bump and bite"
and "sneak" attacks, repeat attacks are common
and multiple and sustained bites are the norm.
Injuries incurred during this type of attack are
usually quite severe, frequently resulting in death.
Be Aware
Most shark attacks occur in nearshore waters, typicallyThanks For Reading!
inshore of a sandbar or between sandbars where
sharks feed and can become trapped at low tide.
Areas with steep drop-offs are also likely attack sites. Sharks
congregate in these areas, because their natural prey
congregates there.
Almost any large shark, roughly six feet or longer in total length, is a potential threat to
humans. But three species in particular have repeatedly
attacked man:
the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias),
the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvieri), and
the bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas).
All are cosmopolitan in distribution, reach large sizes, and consume
large prey such as marine mammals, sea turtles, and
fish as normal elements of their diets.
Source: "The worst case scenario"
