RICoder
Contributor
Great story, and glad you're ok.
I've studied sharks for quite a while, and just completed a shark specialty dive course in the bahamas. That doesn't exactly make me an expert, but it put me up close and personal with some bulls and some reef sharks, as well as a few silkies and nurse sharks. For my part, I totally agree with the majority of posts here on the subject...and here's my 2 cents.
1) Divers are not part of a sharks normal or desired diet. Shark attacks occur due to confusion on the part of the shark, frenzy behavior or a sense of threat felt by the shark (i.e. territorial behaviors or protection of offspring)
2) Spearfishing is like ringing a dinner bell. Sharks detect food by blood and the vibrations of a fish in distress.
Based on that, I don't dive with spearos. I'd say unless you are doing the spearing, there is no real reason to be around them, like someone else said, it ain't a spectator sport. The best way to avoid a bad situation is to not be there.
(that's a reef shark i'm lookin at in that picture...diving with sharks is one of the best experiences of my life)
I've studied sharks for quite a while, and just completed a shark specialty dive course in the bahamas. That doesn't exactly make me an expert, but it put me up close and personal with some bulls and some reef sharks, as well as a few silkies and nurse sharks. For my part, I totally agree with the majority of posts here on the subject...and here's my 2 cents.
1) Divers are not part of a sharks normal or desired diet. Shark attacks occur due to confusion on the part of the shark, frenzy behavior or a sense of threat felt by the shark (i.e. territorial behaviors or protection of offspring)
2) Spearfishing is like ringing a dinner bell. Sharks detect food by blood and the vibrations of a fish in distress.
Based on that, I don't dive with spearos. I'd say unless you are doing the spearing, there is no real reason to be around them, like someone else said, it ain't a spectator sport. The best way to avoid a bad situation is to not be there.
(that's a reef shark i'm lookin at in that picture...diving with sharks is one of the best experiences of my life)
