Scared of sharks

[diversteve]

Always dive with a * buddy. (*slower).

And slice his hamstring with your knife as you swim by...

Hey wait!! I'm the slower buddy...

 

[doole]

I'd call it an attack posture as compared to their normal cruise mode. We never got within 20' of it. I agree with Firebrand, he lowered his pectoral fins into an agressive looking mode.

I'm pretty sure that whitetips - and some other species of requiem sharks - do that, but not anybody else.

I wouldn't assume that just because a shark *isn't* doing that, everything was peace, love and pixie dust...

 

[Tobagoman]

I don't ever remember any stories of scuba divers who weren't spearfishing or shark feeding ever being bitten by a shark? Anyone know of any cases?

I've been on plenty of dives with sharks swimming withing arms reach and after a while it becomes mundane. If you don't harrass them, they probably wont harrass you.

 

[Mako Mark]

I have one...


A friend of mine was trying to rescue a little grey nurse shark that was tangled in a fish net. It bit a chunk out of his stomach.

 

[Chaseh]

If you jam your thumb into their blow hole, they'll freak out and swim away.

 

[Mako Mark]

If you jam your thumb into their blow hole, they'll freak out and swim away.

dude, sharks dont have blow holes, I think you are looking at the wrong end!

The truth is that sharks are so stupid that if you cover your eyes so you cant see them, they think that if you cant see them, they cant see you, and they go away..

.

 

[SueMermaid]

If you jam your thumb into their blow hole, they'll freak out and swim away.

Now THAT'S funny. :rofl:

 

[doole]

I have one...


A friend of mine was trying to rescue a little grey nurse shark that was tangled in a fish net. It bit a chunk out of his stomach.

Ouch.

Definitely the exception to the rule, though.

I've heard the 'trying to rescue <insert species here> from a net' story many times, however - and it often ends much like that. It's a *very* bad situation, and shouldn't be attempted by the non-expert.

For instance, I know somebody who has a missing piece of meat from his forearm trying to do exactly that - for a baby sea lion.

 

[MikeFerrara]

I don't ever remember any stories of scuba divers who weren't spearfishing or shark feeding ever being bitten by a shark? Anyone know of any cases?

I've been on plenty of dives with sharks swimming withing arms reach and after a while it becomes mundane. If you don't harrass them, they probably wont harrass you.

Yes. I can't point to a specific reference because it's been a while but I can think of a couple I've read about in the last few years.

It's not uncommon for divers doing decompression in OW to be harassed some.

I haven't spent much time around sharks and I'm no expert but I view them about like I do bears when I'm in the woods. They usually aren't a threat but sometimes they are so a little caution and common sense is probably in order. I do not think the tourist attitude of treating them like puppy dogs is at all prudent as I've been bit by a couple of dogs myself. BTW, I think the people I used to see in the garbage dump who would jump out of their cars to stick their flash in the face of a sow bear with cubs were pretty stupid too. It was fun to watch though.

 

[Hank49]

I've been bit by a couple of dogs myself. .

What happened? They got mad after losing the growling match with you? heh heh.