DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #760: AND YOU THOUGHT SHARKS WERE DEADLY!
Recently I learned a new word: galeophobia. It is an extreme fear of sharks. And a recent digital article from SCUBA Diving magazine also caught my attention. It gave a new twist to an old story. The topic was things that were deadlier than sharks. A few, like vending machines and coconuts I've known for a long time. I generally avoid vending machines because of price rather than the danger they pose. And I've been in enough tropical dive destinations to be well aware that falling coconuts are also to be avoided. Jean-Michel Cousteau has many warning signs at his resort in Fiji.
However a number of new dangers were listed in this article and I thought I'd bring them to my reader's attention because I want all of you to be safe. And you may be safer joining me underwater than staying at home according to this piece. After all, there are usually about half a dozen deaths by shark "attack" worldwide during an average year (and we kill as many as 200 million a year). I'd say the odds were highly skewed against the sharks, not us!
But, but, but... you saw "Jaws." Well, so did I and, yes, it scared me out of the water for three years until I saw the ridiculous sequel to it. I've dived with sharks throughout the world, including a few great whites in our waters (some I didn't see but I did hear the theme from "Jaws" so I knew they were close!). The only species of shark that has ever "attacked" me was an 18" horn shark (Heterodontus francisci) and it was provoked since I tried to pick it up and move it for a better picture. This vicious fish swam up to me and tried to bite me on my chest as I laughed and spit out my regulator. So, no, those holes in my wetsuit were from wear and tear, not shark bites.
So what should you be afraid of instead of sharks. Well, hippos, horses, lions and tigers would be reasonable things to fear. But were you aware that "selfies killed more people (12) in 2015 than sharks did (8)? Some of these deaths occurred during roller coaster rides and I religiously avoid those. Elevators apparently cause more emergency room visits (10,000) than sharks although the magazine did not indicate there were any deaths due to them. Whew!
You also had better avoid those ball park franks. It was reported that about 77 children choke to death on hot dogs each year. That figure doesn't include the effects of the nitrites in them. And while you're fixing those franks in the kitchen, be very careful around the sink. Very hot tap (over 150° F) kills about 100 people each year. You are just NOT safe in your own home. Need to go to the toilet? Heck about 42 lose their lives every year by falling off one or having a child drown in one. Feeling tired after reading this? Don't go to bed. About 450 people die each year from falling out of theirs (or perhaps their partners).
If you feel the need to celebrate that you haven't been the victim of one of these, give it careful thought. I was shocked to learn that about two dozen people die each year from champagne corks! Of course about a third of these deaths occur at weddings (which can be deadly events in and of themself). Good thing I keep my bottles corked and in the fridge (since I have little to celebrate).
So by now you must feel pretty foolish about your fear of sharks... and are probably a bit leery about heading home. Well, in the interests of statistical fairness, I have to admit that there is a factor that must be considered in evaluating these risks. It is estimated there are about 7.6 billion people on Earth and they are all confined to the 30% of the planet that is solid rather than liquid. These deaths from topside events are a very small percent of the overall population. There are far fewer who venture into the other 70% of Planet Ocean, so that increases the statistical probability of a shark attack to what is still a very small level.
You can live your life in fear, or you can live it to the fullest and seek out many adventures to enrich your stay on Earth. Your choice.
© 2018 Dr. Bill Bushing. For the entire archived set of over 750 "Dive Dry" columns, visit my website Star Thrower Educational Multimedia (S.T.E.M.) Home Page
Image caption: All of these are more deadly than sharks!
Recently I learned a new word: galeophobia. It is an extreme fear of sharks. And a recent digital article from SCUBA Diving magazine also caught my attention. It gave a new twist to an old story. The topic was things that were deadlier than sharks. A few, like vending machines and coconuts I've known for a long time. I generally avoid vending machines because of price rather than the danger they pose. And I've been in enough tropical dive destinations to be well aware that falling coconuts are also to be avoided. Jean-Michel Cousteau has many warning signs at his resort in Fiji.
However a number of new dangers were listed in this article and I thought I'd bring them to my reader's attention because I want all of you to be safe. And you may be safer joining me underwater than staying at home according to this piece. After all, there are usually about half a dozen deaths by shark "attack" worldwide during an average year (and we kill as many as 200 million a year). I'd say the odds were highly skewed against the sharks, not us!
But, but, but... you saw "Jaws." Well, so did I and, yes, it scared me out of the water for three years until I saw the ridiculous sequel to it. I've dived with sharks throughout the world, including a few great whites in our waters (some I didn't see but I did hear the theme from "Jaws" so I knew they were close!). The only species of shark that has ever "attacked" me was an 18" horn shark (Heterodontus francisci) and it was provoked since I tried to pick it up and move it for a better picture. This vicious fish swam up to me and tried to bite me on my chest as I laughed and spit out my regulator. So, no, those holes in my wetsuit were from wear and tear, not shark bites.
So what should you be afraid of instead of sharks. Well, hippos, horses, lions and tigers would be reasonable things to fear. But were you aware that "selfies killed more people (12) in 2015 than sharks did (8)? Some of these deaths occurred during roller coaster rides and I religiously avoid those. Elevators apparently cause more emergency room visits (10,000) than sharks although the magazine did not indicate there were any deaths due to them. Whew!
You also had better avoid those ball park franks. It was reported that about 77 children choke to death on hot dogs each year. That figure doesn't include the effects of the nitrites in them. And while you're fixing those franks in the kitchen, be very careful around the sink. Very hot tap (over 150° F) kills about 100 people each year. You are just NOT safe in your own home. Need to go to the toilet? Heck about 42 lose their lives every year by falling off one or having a child drown in one. Feeling tired after reading this? Don't go to bed. About 450 people die each year from falling out of theirs (or perhaps their partners).
If you feel the need to celebrate that you haven't been the victim of one of these, give it careful thought. I was shocked to learn that about two dozen people die each year from champagne corks! Of course about a third of these deaths occur at weddings (which can be deadly events in and of themself). Good thing I keep my bottles corked and in the fridge (since I have little to celebrate).
So by now you must feel pretty foolish about your fear of sharks... and are probably a bit leery about heading home. Well, in the interests of statistical fairness, I have to admit that there is a factor that must be considered in evaluating these risks. It is estimated there are about 7.6 billion people on Earth and they are all confined to the 30% of the planet that is solid rather than liquid. These deaths from topside events are a very small percent of the overall population. There are far fewer who venture into the other 70% of Planet Ocean, so that increases the statistical probability of a shark attack to what is still a very small level.
You can live your life in fear, or you can live it to the fullest and seek out many adventures to enrich your stay on Earth. Your choice.
© 2018 Dr. Bill Bushing. For the entire archived set of over 750 "Dive Dry" columns, visit my website Star Thrower Educational Multimedia (S.T.E.M.) Home Page
Image caption: All of these are more deadly than sharks!
