How Afraid are you of Sharks?

[Walter]

I lost my fear of sharks right after I learned to dive when I saw how a really huge shark (I don't know what species - I was new) reacts to people in the water. I kept a healthy respect for them. Two years ago, a couple of bulls put a very real fear (but just for Bulls) back into me. For six months, I hated getting into the water, but I continued diving in spite of my fear. Diving with Sand Tigers in NC and Lemons in Jupiter was very good for my recovery. Now I'm back to a healthy respect, but there's something extra in there that was never present before. If I see a Bull, I get out of the water at the first safe opportunity. I do not voluntarily dive with Bulls.

BTW, for those of you who swim at sharks - that's usually the safest thing you can do. Yell or growl as you charge. Swimming away or surfacing can trigger an attack response.

 

[Trixxie]

I lost my fear of sharks right after I learned to dive when I saw how a really huge shark (I don't know what species - I was new) reacts to people in the water. I kept a healthy respect for them. Two years ago, a couple of bulls put a very real fear (but just for Bulls) back into me. For six months, I hated getting into the water, but I continued diving in spite of my fear. Diving with Sand Tigers in NC and Lemons in Jupiter was very good for my recovery. Now I'm back to a healthy respect, but there's something extra in there that was never present before. If I see a Bull, I get out of the water at the first safe opportunity. I do not voluntarily dive with Bulls.

and considering that bulls can survive in fresh water (i.e. swimming up the Mississippi or other river) and eating an unsuspecting swimmer, then I would have to agree.

I regularly swim with Sand Tigers and Sand Bar Tigers at the Tennessee Aquarium. The Sand Tigers are so dopey, the Sand Bars are much faster swimmers but like to avoid us whenever possible. The Sand Tigers can be a little aggravating waiting for them to pass by so I can get out or continue my duties at hand because they swim so slowly. I find myself sometimes wanting to get as close as possible just for the thrill. Then when the thrill turns to the "oh crap I feel surrounded" feeling I just sink to the bottom and watch them all pass by. It can be an awesome sight.

I am still waiting for the day when I see a shark in the wild. I have gone looking for reef sharks but have yet to see one. One day soon I hope.

The only sharks that I do not look forward to seeing or being with in the water are:
Bulls
Great Whites
Tigers
and maybe Makos

 

[Walter]

The only sharks that I do not look forward to seeing or being with in the water are:
Bulls
Great Whites
Tigers
and maybe Makos

I agree without the "maybe."

 

[mjh]

We love sharks and Cocos is becoming a yearly visit for us. After yrs of diving with many species I had my first “uh, oh” moment with a silky in Cocos. We had been chasing a bait-ball jumping in with snorkels, I dove down to video a group of 12 or so and there was one very curious male. I dove down, he turned to me and that was to close for him. He went into classic threat motions started to swim off and then turned and came at me. We went around and around for 32seconds, and I bumped him with the camera 5 times all caught on video.

This was my fault and I have to say I can't wait to get in with them again!

 

[Nemrod]

I don't fear them but respect them. They are beautiful creatures. I make an exception, I don't much care for bull sharks especially. Grizzly bears, yes, I fear them. To many run ins with them. One attacked my Toyota because I did not provide the toll fare. Idiot bear, just because he weighd 3,000 pounds (exaggeration), I guess he did not know that Toyota trucks are tuff and built meteor proof, the Toy kicked his butt, though he did eat the RH front fender and spit it out in defiance as he retreated.

Sharks, no. Grizzly, yes. You don't know how fast you can riun till a griz gets after you, good thing they don't much climb trees. Bull sharks are like underwater grizzly bears and there are no trees to climb or Toyota to protect me.

N

 

[dive_lover88]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Trixxie
The only sharks that I do not look forward to seeing or being with in the water are:
Bulls
Great Whites
Tigers
and maybe Makos

I agree without the "maybe."

Add the oceanic whitetip into the mix...

I wouldnt want to be in the water near them

 

[Theunis]

I am still waiting for the day when I see a shark in the wild. I have gone looking for reef sharks but have yet to see one. One day soon I hope.

The only sharks that I do not look forward to seeing or being with in the water are:
Bulls
Great Whites
Tigers
and maybe Makos

I do hope you will be able to see a shark in the wild. It is really an exciting experience!!

I have seen about 22 Bull sharks during dives at Protea Banks, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa the past few years. Those were non baited dives and those Bulls were not threatening at all. I have seen Tigers during baited and non baited dives and they were not threatening as well. I think that Tigers are so occupied with the baited drum that they do not pose a threat to divers, but you have to keep a safe distance from the baited drum. I am not talking about huge quantities of bait floating all over the show, that may be a different ball game.

At Gansbaai in the Cape Province of South Africa some divers are diving with Great Whites without cages. My opinion is, and I am not an expert, that you can dive and view any species shark safely without a cage and especially without bait.

So my point is to look forward in seeing those sharks , that WILL be a great experience for you.

 

[Sas]

All the sharks I have seen have been asleep or at least just lazing around. Not very scary .

Octopuses scare me and turtles, that is about it. Turtles are angry and bitey, and octopuses are smart and have many arms to trap you with :11: Also most of the octopuses I see [blue ring] can stop my breathing and put me in cardiac arrest quite rapidly...

 

[Theunis]

Octopuses scare me and turtles, that is about it. Turtles are angry and bitey, and octopuses are smart and have many arms to trap you with :11: Also most of the octopuses I see [blue ring] can stop my breathing and put me in cardiac arrest quite rapidly...

 

[matt215]

i love diving with sharks! when in am considering a dive location, i typically choose one where shark encounters are virtually guaranteed.
one time though i got a little spoked when i was on a "run of the mill" reef dive, when i looked over my shoulder and there was a big lemon shark. she followed me a bit. that actually made me nervous because i had no idea she was there. i think that many dives that we go on have sharks just barely out in the distance and we don't even know they are there.
i have dove with hammerheads, lemons, reef, galapagos, white tips, silver tips, nurse, whale, and tiger sharks. i'd have to say silver tips and tigers are my favorite. my experience in diving wit htigers is that they seem to think of us divers as just another big predator. if you stay out of their way, and don't act like prey, you'll be fine ... probably