How many fatal shark attacks to stop you diving

[TMHeimer]

It's funny, but popular perceptions are very often wrong. If I were to ask you when was the last hurricane to really hit Key Largo, would you be surprised that it was almost 50 years ago in 1965 with Hurricane Betsy? Sure, Andrew had an impact, but even that was 22 years ago. The hype is almost always worse than reality. I don't live my life catering to my paranoia.

Hurricane Juan (category 3) hit right at Halifax in '03 (2 years before we moved to NS). Nova Scotians were now paranoid about hurricanes--think it was many decades before when it last happened. Then darn it, category 1 Earl hit right at our coastal house in 2010. Guess we're safe for the foreseeable future. Hurricanes making landfall North of say Virginia Beach are an extreme rarity. I believe even Sandy was (a giant) tropical storm- could be wrong.

 

[Hank49]

Kind of funny:



Sometimes the hunter becomes the hunted. What a cool video.

Excellent video.

It's just horrible though that he poked that shark in the nose with his spear. Hmmpphh. Invading that shark's waters and then trying to hurt it.

But seriously, I've never had one come back multiple times like that. One poke, or aggressive move towards the shark has always worked….so far. I would have shot it for sure. But also, the diver seemed to want to get away and started a rapid ascent. I wonder if that emboldened the shark? That was heavy. No doubt.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Ok .. so how many attacks on that video.. can't miss adding them up now can we?

 

[MMM]

Makes me wonder if DMs or others have been feeding the sharks lion fish for photo ops. We see this "friendly" behaviour from nurse sharks here in Cozumel. DMs strongly advise against rapid movement or trying to swim away but rather becoming still and staying put. Movement seems to excite them. Yesterday I had one come up and bump me, probably looking for a treat.

Kind of funny:



Sometimes the hunter becomes the hunted. What a cool video.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Same approach as any other predator act like prey trying to escape and it activates the pounce response. It would take a lot of self discipline. Sometimes our instincts to fight or flight aren't as good a freeze (as long as the brain is still engaged so you are a in a state where you can... Stop Think Act)

 

[The Chairman]

I become the aggressor when challenged by a shark. I swim right at them. That guy did it exactly WRONG, which is what made it funny. As for poking the nose, I can't believe he wasn't more aggressive in that. Make it really hurt to come close to you and Mr Sharky will leave you alone. BTW, the shark probably took one look at those wimpy fins and knew he had the upper hand, er fin.

 

[chillyinCanada]

NetDoc how many sharks have come at you that way? I've had lovely swims with a few and have had two come for me, but nothing like that. So far have kept my ground, not truly sure what I'd do in the situation shown (i don't spear so probably not a concern)

 

[Hank49]

I become the aggressor when challenged by a shark. I swim right at them. That guy did it exactly WRONG, which is what made it funny. As for poking the nose, I can't believe he wasn't more aggressive in that. Make it really hurt to come close to you and Mr Sharky will leave you alone. BTW, the shark probably took one look at those wimpy fins and knew he had the upper hand, er fin.

No shark would have pulled that **** against someone with long blade fins.

 

[The Chairman]

NetDoc how many sharks have come at you that way? I've had lovely swims with a few and have had two come for me, but nothing like that. So far have kept my ground, not truly sure what I'd do in the situation shown (i don't spear so probably not a concern)

That aggressively? Just one big arsed Bull shark. Not nearly as quick as that little monkey but very aggressive. Pecs were pushed forward, the back was arched and the body was wagging back and forth. I swam straight at it and it freaked right out. Left in a big hurry and I never saw it again. Didn't have a spear and I never got to really use other techniques. I also had a deco stop interrupted by two circling bulls. I think there were four of us in that group and we blew off a couple of minutes at our final stop and headed for the boat. Every instance is unique.

The only critter that really freaks me out is a turtle that's looking for a handout. Feeding critters is fun but it can be problematic for others. I've seen the resident Jewfish at the City of Washington freak divers out when it swims right up to them looking for food. It won't harm you at all, but a 250 pound fish swimming right up to you can give some people the willies.

 

[The Chairman]

Let me correct that: two bull sharks. I was diving with a spearo one day when he shot a black grouper. The Bull (which at the time seemed bigger than Jaws) came right between us and grabbed the grouper still thrashing about on the spear. The other diver pulled the shark towards us and started banging on it's head with his spear gun. i was absolutely frozen with abject fear. I actually opted out of dive 2 with that guy. Oh yeah, the shark got the body of the grouper and left the spearo with a nice head, if you're into fish heads.