Concerned about sharks? Odds?

[Stu S.]

Here's the latest. Only 3 minor shark bites reported in Volusia County, FL this year.

World Shark Bite Capital Unseasonably Quiet - Orlando News Story - WESH Orlando

 

[Splitlip]

'd they bite any lips?

 

[kaerius]

More people die each year by being crushed by vending machines.

Personally the only sharks I'd be slightly wary of are tiger and great white, tiger particularly as they'll eat anything. I've been within 3 feet of a 7' bull shark as it was feeding(it caught a fish), and within 2 feet otherwise, been on dives where my dive buddies were within a couple of inches of them.

 

[rollerboi]

Wow, Walter. Heck of an experience! I'll have to share that one with my wife.

She was watching Shark Week earlier, and I took the opportunity to educate her about playing on the surface of the water. That essentially if you look like a freakin' seal you're liable to get eaten like one, too.

I'm under the belief that divers deeper down confuse sharks, as they are alien to the environment. They are big, loud, and blow bubbles. I told her the best thing to do is either get out of the water if you have immediate topside support, or drop lower, go vertical, and not freak out. I hope I'm right.

She commented on the people (old surfers) going into the water solo.. "How can anyone think that's a good idea?" I told her that sometimes it's like meditation, you just gotta get out there. She then replied "Well I guess, but at the very least you need to let someone know where you are." Yes, indeed. I love my wife, she's a great buddy. She's got fewer dives and less experience/training than me, but her situational awareness and processing is very good, and that's important in a buddy.

 

[TMHeimer]

Okay, so Shark Week got me wondering about the odds as a diver. I started looking all over online. Going back to 1959, here's a list of diving related shark attacks I found. Then I looked at commonalities. If you have ever been concerned about getting attacked while diving, rest easy. Unless you're the type to stay inside anytime it rains for fear of lightning, don't drive or ride in a car and never fly in a plane, you're probably going to be fine. While it certainly can happen, we all play the odds (just as we do in the aforementioned actions).

William Covert, 25, was attacked and killed by a 12 foot long Bull shark on September 13, 1995 while scuba Diving near Islamorada, Florida. The shark took Covert's body.

James Robinson 42, was killed by an 18 feet long Great White Shark on December 9, 1994 while diving for sea urchins at Harris Point near San Miguel Island, California.

Ray Mehl Jr. was attacked and killed by a Tiger shark on October 14, 1989 while scuba diving near Kahi Point, Hawaii

Omar Conger, 28, was attacked and killed on September 15, 1984 by a Great White Shark while diving in 15 feet of water near San Mateo, California.

Stephen C. Powell was attacked and killed by an unknown type of shark on July 16, 1976 while scuba diving off Kauai, Hawaii. Powell was bitten in half and the lower part of his body was never recovered.

Rodney Temple was attacked by two Whitetip Sharks on October 14, 1972 while scuba diving at Cane Bay near St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Temple's body was never recovered

Lt. James Neal, 26, was attacked and killed on August 15, 1959 while spearfishing in scuba gear near Panama City, Florida. His diving gear and clothes showed evidence of a shark attack. Neal 's body was taken by the shark and never recovered.

Robert Pamperin, 33, was attacked and killed by a 20 + foot long Great White Shark on June 14, 1959 while diving for abalone near La Jolla, California. Witnesses on the beach said Pamperin was grabbed by the shark feet first and swallowed whole.

As you can see, shallow waters and carrying edibles certainly reduce the odds of safety slightly. However, consider the number of dives that take place in the US including USVI and Hawaii and this begins to be pretty clear that a shark attack on a diver is very unlikely and even less in deeper waters and if you're not hunting. Eight fatal shark attacks on divers in over 50 years in the US. That's even assuming that they didn't specify scuba in 3 of them (while the others do specify). Those may have been freediving. I'll take those odd all day long!!!! More people have died from dog attacks in the US...in 2010!!

Okay...I'm done. Just felt like looking a little deeper (pun) into this since enjoying Shark Week. I'll be diving in 3 days!!

I've been away from SB for 2 months and confess I have not read all the posts. But my usual stand is "I hope all the sharks I see are on Discovery Channel". Of course, I am a shell collector, and have tunnel vision--don't care a whole lot about other critters. But divers that seek to swim with sharks, in my opinion, are asking for it. Why go there? Don't care that we are not on their food list unless flounderng at the surface (think that doesn't apply to Great Whites anyway). To purposely seek them out-well, good luck photographers.

 

[Stu S.]

'd they bite any lips?

Hey, Splitlip. You dive Jupiter. What's the most sharks you've seen on a dive?

 

[Hammerhead]

Wow. Gutsy. What type of sharks were they swimming with? When I hear "Cage" only one species comes to mind, and to think they got out of the cage with chum in the water just blows my mind.

As a matter of fact, I enjoyed the Great White cage diving experience in South Africa in 2008 - see my avatar!

Anyway, I was discussing whether "open water" diving would be possible with the boat crew (hard to take decent photos from inside the cage), and they reckon that it would not be a problem.

Having watched these animals for hours and hours, the crew believed that they were very predictable, and with some minimal protection (not sure what it was), diving alongside these beasts was do-able. Not only that, three out of the four of them already had.

I think I'd probably do it, but then, I'm an idiot.

 

[Splitlip]

Hey, Splitlip. You dive Jupiter. What's the most sharks you've seen on a dive?

Not as many as I would like. I usually have a camera,

Nurse sharks are pretty regular occurrences. Reef sharks are welcome distractions. Then there are the Bulls, (lossens collar). They usually accompany spearos.

Lemon season, I may have seen a dozen on one dive.

We see alot of Reefies in Jupiter, but not in large numbers by any means.

 

[Stu S.]

Splitlip, last year (maybe the year before) we took a Jupiter twilight dive with Ham on Republic IV. Great guy. Our shark count was 11 or 13, depending on who said. That was one of those cold current early-Summer dives. Looking at my logbook, it seems like we see more sharks when the water temp is 75 or below.

You ever get a good shark picture? Sharks have a natural camo, and what we think will be a great picture is always rather weak.

Stu.

 

[Scubagolf]

Three minute safety stop in French Polynesia; hanging out with the guys on the block, French Polynesia.