Scared of sharks

[alcina]

I can guarantee that the first time you see a Whale Shark glide by and wonder how such a giant creature can be so gentle (--they are plankton eaters with no teeth--), you will fall in love with them!

They are awesome creatures - incredible to be with them in the water!

FWIW whale sharks DO have teeth. They are just very small and the sharks don't use them

 

[Firebrand]

Make sure you wear your neoprene! I have never seen anyone use neoprene to chum for sharks. I'm willing to bet that a shark chewing on neoprene has the same reaction as you would have if you decided to chew on an old tire! DSAO!

 

[MSilvia]

I'm willing to bet that a shark chewing on neoprene has the same reaction as you would have if you decided to chew on an old tire! DSAO!

Maybe more like your reaction to biting into a gamey burger wrapped in cellophane. It wouldn't be the most pleasant thing you've ever eaten, and probably not something you'd go back for another taste of, but it wouldn't change the fact that the burger now has a bite missing.

Still, I think there's an important truth there... anything you can do to make you seem less like food can only reduce your chances of being sampled. I've personally never heard of anyone being attacked unless they either provoked the attack or were mistaken for a snack.

 

[Stirling]

I've personally never heard of anyone being attacked unless they either provoked the attack or were mistaken for a snack.

But being "mistaken for a snack" takes in a lot of territory when you're talking about certain sharks, because some of them are inclined to sample just about anything. In fact, I think that's probably why tiger sharks worry me more than great whites; I don't think the latter commonly mistake people for their normal food, but they may take a bite from something like that, or gnaw on it a little bit, just to see what it is. I don't believe most great white attacks are the result of confusion with sea lions or other regular prey; when they do happen, I think they are more likely the result of a taste test. I think tiger sharks are even less discriminating in what they will eat, and may be even less likely to "admit their mistake" and go away after biting a person in the water.

All of this, I admit, is based entirely on reading about their feeding behavior and about shark attacks. I have never encountered either a great white or tiger shark in the water.

 

[mrobinson]

Rob Davie - Thanks for the links.. Yes most of the information has been covered, but it sure is nice to have the websites for the refresher instead of waiting for "Shark Week" on Discovery...

Everyone has been very helpful and I do enjoy the banter!

Tanks for the posts! :59:

 

[mrobinson]

"Florida had most of the unprovoked attacks in the US." (12 really isn't that many....)

I heard that many attacks happened in water where people were gutting their fish... Does anyone know if that's true?

 

[MSilvia]

But being "mistaken for a snack" takes in a lot of territory when you're talking about certain sharks, because some of them are inclined to sample just about anything.

That's absolutely true (from what I've seen/heard/read... I have little firsthand experience with any "dangerous" sharks), and is an excellent reason to learn which sharks to be extra-cautious around. I meant it as a generalization though... it's as true for barracuda and bears as it is for sharks. If you haven't upset them and they don't think you're food, very few animals will bother you. What is upsetting, and what constitutes a good food candidate, can of course vary widely from creature to creature.

 

[dlndavid]

Thanks Rob,
The link to Florida museum of natural history website is a wealth of information.
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/

 

[Mako Mark]

try this thread too, great video

http://www.scubaboard.com/t82024-some-exciting-video-footage-of-shark-in-sth-africa.html

 

[Nay]

try this thread too, great video

http://www.scubaboard.com/t82024-some-exciting-video-footage-of-shark-in-sth-africa.html

Amazing Video. I could watch that all day.