I know 3 people who have been attacked by sharks, all were doing things that put them at significant risk and diving well beyond normal recreational activities. One was not even diving and surface swimming in turbid water known to be prime bull shark habitat, one was feeding silvertip sharks in an exposed condition, meaning hovering over a reef without anything behind them, the other had a lobster in his BCD. The surface swimmer was severely injured but made a near full recovery, the shark feeder lost a chunk of their leg but recovered and the lobster guy had his BCD ripped apart but was completely unharmed, it was a strike of surgical precision. Another diver I know was circled by a GW while doing deco off Long Island NY, promptly dropped his mesh bags full of scollops and lobster, which is what attracted the GW, it dove right after the bags and he did not see the shark again.
All were doing things most recreational divers do not. Add to that the chance of seeing a GW on a tropical reef which is not their normal habitat, where the numbers of large prey are relatively low compared to their regular habitats, and you have a once in a lifetime chance that probably doesn’t last more than a few seconds.
All my close shark encounters, including being bumped by them twice, happened in remote parts of the world where humans may never have been and while diving CCR. The first time I was bumped because I was drifting in a current along a wall and I had barely moved for a long period of time. I could hear my dive buddy chuckling and couldn’t figure out why until I looked down and noticed the shark was practically between my legs. I may have actually kicked it first before we made contact but as soon we did it took off like a rocket. The other time was while “shark calling” by rubbing a plastic bottle to mimic a distressed fish and I got bumped when a silvertip came in very fast from below us and glanced off my leg. As soon as my dive buddy stopped rubbing the bottle the shark slowed down and went back to its normal patrolling behavior then swam off.
Both my bumps happened on exploratory dives in remote parts of Papua New Guinea and on CCR. In other words, we had to go to a lot of trouble to put ourselves in a position to even have those encounters. How many divers go to Nusa Penida every day? Probably near 100, I would guess. How many shark attacks have their been at Nusa Penida?
I’m not trying to make light of your fear or talk you out of it, just trying to bring my perspective...
