How many fatal shark attacks to stop you diving

[sphyrnidus]

I watched Swimming with monsters s01e01 from discovery channel. This is an interesting film as they throw bait in to the water, a tuna, and it attracts several Great Whites. The presenter swims outside the cage, there are about 4 divers in the water, and the sharks show absolutely no interest towards the divers, even though they chum the water while the are outside the cage.
Foxfish you should watch this, maybe it can enlighten you a little bit

There is a little piece of it on the Tube: [video=youtube_share;PaWViYsSFP4]http://youtu.be/PaWViYsSFP4[/video]

 

[diver 85]

I swim in waters where great whites are seen with some frequency. Of course since they are in California waters they seem quiet mellow and non-aggressive. They usually just swim by us to check out our new gear and then swim off to munch on a higher fat content target like a sea lion. As far as I know, there has not been a fatal GWS attack in our waters over the last 50 years (which pretty well approximates the amount of time I've been diving here). However, I don't do open ocean swimming, paddleboarding or surfing. No attacks in our waters on them either though.

You seem to have quite an agenda here on SB... every post I've noticed has been about shark attacks. Of course living in Perth, I imagine they are on your mind more than most. But it also causes me to wonder.

munch on a higher fat content target like a sea lion

Some here would fall into that classification.......

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I myself would not care how many attacks there were. As a thinking, mostly rational, intelligent, human being I have to realize that if I choose to enter the water I am now no longer on the top of the food chain and have to accept everything that comes with that.

Just because I am the aforementioned person also does not give me the right to be so goddamn arrogant to think my life is somehow worth more. It's not.

I am a meat sack until I die. By whatever means that happens to be. Then I become a dead meat sack.

Justifying the slaughter of a species because it happens to take a bite out of someone once in a while who is invading it's territory is total horsecrap. But then this is being done in the same place that did that to the local indigenous human population. And continued doing it in spirit up until the 1970's when they were stealing their children and relocating them for "educational purposes" and to "give them a better life" by insuring they did not breed with their own people.

Don't want to take a chance on someone getting bit? Tell them to stay the hell out of the water.

 

[ams511]

Don't want to take a chance on some descendant of a British criminal getting bit? Tell them to stay the hell out of the water.

That is a hateful comment if I ever read one. Not every one living in Australia are descendants of criminals and even if they are who cares? We don't hold the children responsible for the crimes of their parents (or great great grandparents) do we?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I know it was an outrageous comment. Just as outrageous as the whole tone and purpose of this thread. That was the point. So now I'll take it away and take it back. I know not all are descendants of crooks. And not all of the sharks they are slaughtering are man eaters.

 

[diveprof]

After I've personally had at least 8 fatal I would consider stopping diving. Not going to happen. Dive with them all the time. It's the snakes in my freshwater diving I worry about!! Forget Snakes on a Plane, in low vis diving when you run into a Copperhead what part of you body is closest to the snake? Answer: the dive mask Been there done that still not greatly concerned. The most dangerous life form in the water is likely to be a inexperienced dive buddy... well maybe E.coli too....

 

[UrbanJungle1966]

Need a don't care would still dive option.

Love the numbers though. Is there anywhere that sharks attack more than a couple of people a year?

 

[100days-a-year]

No vote but here's my take.
I spearfish for a living and we see sharks a lot.Most are just curious but some are aggressive.If the crew and I get tired of being bumped and shadowed every dive,we move.We see GW,big tigers and a herd of dusky,sandbar and sandtigers.The GW and tigers are impressive and intimidating but it's the sandbars in the summer and sandtigers in winter that get in our faces and get poked.We try not to kill ANY shark that we personally aren't going to eat,about 1 or 2 per year.

Attacks would have to be awfully frequent for me to consider changing my dive plans,not stop but maybe get a shark shield.

 

[Nemrod]

I did not vote because there is not my choice available, me, I do not care. I might even attack them back should they try and bite me (just kidding, sorta).

N

 

[Tigerman]

Im not voting as the proper option of "I wont be deterred by numbers alone".
I would not be deterred by anything but sharks actively preying on scuba divers - which I've never ever heard of happening anywhere but in Hollywood...

In that case you would select the '1 a week' option since it best reflects your description as indicated in the OP.
...

No as that would indicate that shark attacks would deterr me