Question on diving with sharks

[BlueDevil]

I love diving with sharks...provided they are not a species that is known for aggression, such as Great Whites and Bulls. The likelihood of a diver being attacked by a shark is low...but definitely NOT zero.

For some stats see: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/scuba/All2.htm

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

God, I want to do a shark dive soooo badly....

 

[Daylonious]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm planning on going to the Flower Gardens in March or May to go play with the hammerheads. I've been told that Bull and Tiger sharks sometime make an appearance.

One of the instructors told me that if you see a bull or tiger, put your back up against something rather than being in open water because they like to hit you from directly underneath.

The rationalization is that with your back up against a wall or structure of some kind, they can't get the angle on you.

D.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

I don't know... If a shark decides he's going to hit you and see if you're tasty, all he has to do is roll up on his side a little and take a hunk out of any portion of you that isn't against the wall. The instructor may be right, but man, I'd hate to be in the position of having to rely on that little tidbit of shark lore to ensure that I didn't become a scuba-snack for Mr. Shark.

-Frank

 

[Bratface]

Come wreck diving with us next year. The sand tigers live on the wrecks, and we are not on their menu. With the historic wrecks and the sharks, it's a sight to behold.

 

[CDFDiveMaster]

I made an unsuspecting Shark dive and it turned out to be the best experience ever. I actually posted a thread....kinda comical titled "Confessions Of A Dive Master" or something like that you can search my threads for it....I'm sure you'll find it amusing. Long and short of it I'm looking forward to my next encounter.

Peace

 

[Fotoz4FX]

There are no documented reports of unprovoked (feeding sharks or entering a feeding sight) attacks by sharks on divers. Sharks are predators of opportunity and as such prey on what appears to them to be injured (swimmers, slow seals) - most divers have bubbles and sharks don't like bubbles - it's not something they are accustomed to seeing and therefore they avoid them. Also, divers don't swim like injured critters (surface dwellers do so they taste them once in awhile).
Our blood is not attractive - it doesn't taste good which is why sharks spit us out.
I dive with Black-tip Tigers nearly every year off the Carolina's (Cape Hatteras) and have yet to see any aggression on the part of the sharks I have been around, nor have I heard anything but praise and admiration from others about the large predators they are thrilled to see.
Just don't stuff chum in your wetsuit and you'll do fine.

 

[Fotoz4FX]

I wish this was true but the little buggers have been fairly busy in Australia this year. Some attacks that come to mind are; man taken on knee board being towed behind a boat; a couple of surfers taken on the surface; and most recently a marine biologist taken at surface heading for his boat in scuba gear [5klms.off shore in South Australia].

The big three to be wary of are Great Whites, Tiger Sharks, and Bull Sharks. You avoid the first two by not diving in their waters [Tigers are little less predictable, but Great Whites are so rare that you really have to go looking for them]. Bull Sharks are a bit more scary. They travel from salt water into fresh water fairly comfortably, love murky waters [i.e.inland rivers] and are aggressive. They are responsible fo attacks on dogs and people swimming in frsh water estuaries and rivers in Queensland, Australia.

As I have said in other posts, there are lots of places to dive where you are extremely unlikely to encounter one of the big three - so just do your research and be conservative.

Personally I love diving with sharks - on the evolutionary scale of perfect design for their given profession [killing stuff] they are nearly perfect.

As you have verified... again, there are still no justified or documented attacks by sharks on DIVERS (a diver is someone BELOW the surface). Swimmers appear to be injured which is an opportunity for a shark... easy prey = food.

 

[isurus]

there are still no justified or documented attacks by sharks on DIVERS (a diver is someone BELOW the surface).

http://www.divernet.com/news/stories/010905shark.shtml

Also this thread is 8 months old

 

[Walter]

As you have verified... again, there are still no justified or documented attacks by sharks on DIVERS (a diver is someone BELOW the surface). Swimmers appear to be injured which is an opportunity for a shark... easy prey = food.

Where did you get this information?

Perhaps you should read this.