Shark Poll

[ckaspar]

My wife had the same concerns when we first got married. Funny.....they went away after the first year or so............

So that's the secret! Get married and wait a year.

Well maybe I see you guys in a year.

Not Likely!

 

[J75]

Oh no! When my girlfriend reads that no one here has been attacked by a shark, she's going to seriously discourage me from diving, lol.

 

[riddler]

If you have a few minutes please vote so I can go diving more without any grief!

You need a new category - "seen another diver bitten by shark, but not me". In my case, I watched an a@#hole divemaster in Belize that was feeding nurse sharks. Turned his back on the sharks to give me the OK signal, and one swam over his back and bit his fingers. Was his own fault. Only drew a little blood. Like getting bitten by a dog. Was kinda hoping it would take at least one finger off :drejnd: (No, I didn't like the guy - he was a jerk to me and everyone else for the entire boat trip). Then there was a guy in the Keys that a nurse shark was nibbling on his fin for a while - it's our own darn fault - if we would stop feeding them, they wouldn't get so cheeky.

I've talked to a lot of people that have never been in the water with sharks and are scared of them. I suspect it's from watching television and movies. Once you're in the water with them, you see them for what they are, and it's hard to be terrified of them. I keep my eye on them - many of the ones that swim around divers have been fed quite a bit, and I don't like how they look at me like a buffet. But as far as getting bitten - I look at them as medium to large dogs; most of them aren't going to rip a limb off. Maybe just get a few bite marks. The same people that are terrified of sharks are rarely afraid of the neighbor dog, even though it probably poses a bigger risk.

 

[Cacia]

I am a big chicken. Always worried about sharks. Take her to Palau and just get it over with. You will be surrounded by sharks in the currents, the nice thing is they barely look your way, they are all on their way somewhere and you just get over it all at once. Cured me.

 

[ckaspar]

But as far as getting bitten - I look at them as medium to large dogs; most of them aren't going to rip a limb off. Maybe just get a few bite marks. The same people that are terrified of sharks are rarely afraid of the neighbor dog, even though it probably poses a bigger risk.

It is funny you mention that because she works at a greyhound adoption center. I am definitely going to show her this post.

Thanks!

 

[Damselfish]

I've seen plenty of sharks of different sizes while diving and they've never been of concern.

Did have a somewhat scary encounter with a oceanic whitetip while blue water snorkeling with pilot whales in Hawaii. My husband bopped it on the nose twice with his camera before it went away. (What a surface interval!)

 

[farrakhan]

The problem with the statistics of lightning strikes vs shark attacks is there are billions and billions of people on the earths surface suseptable to lightning strikes but probably a very small percentage of the world population are scuba divers or are near an ocean for that matter. I dont think these percentages are very accurate.

With that said I'm from South Australia where there have been two fatal white pointer shark atttacks in the last telve months and I continue to dive very happily and I feel very safely.

 

[CaptSaaz]

Been around quite a few sharks in the past year....

Nurse sharks in Cozumel
Sand Tigers in North Carolina

Grey Reef
Black Tip
White Tip in Kadavu Fiji

None were at all aggressive. If anything, the sand tigers and black tips were... curious. The grey reef was sleeping and when he awoke and saw us, took off into the deep. Nurse sharks just swam by. The sand tigers were the most curious. Coming within just a couole of feet but just swimming by looking.

 

[Green Hand]

As far as statistics go - I seem to remember reading that divers are at far greater risk at the surface than below [which supports the greater incidence of attacks on surfers at the surface].

If it became a major issue for Her take her on a shark dive at the local aquarium. I had one organised [as a surprise] for part of my Bucks Day [pre-wedding day in Australia], diving with seven gills and grey nurse. What she would learn during the pre0dive briefings and basic training would give her a far greater understnading of sharks and their behaviour and would help remove the 'fear of the unknown'.

I find dog attacks far more frightening and would certainly not want to be working with strange grey hounds - they can get nasty [with no warning].

 

[Vtdiver2]

I'm deathly afraid of sharks....keep thinking they are going to come up from behind me. Just kidding....when I say I'm going diving where I'll see sharks, my fiance just asks if my life insurance is paid up.
C-Dawg