What kind of shark would make you get out of the water?

[parrotman]

My very first open water ocean dive was in Hawaii. We went down, swam a few yards and the DM took us through a swim through and pointed up, directly over our heads were schooling reef sharks swimming in a circle in the lave tube. It was awsome. I have never been in a situation where I felt threatened but then, I don't go looking for trouble either. The largest shark that I have ever seen under water was in a blue hole in the Cay Sal banks. We were swimming over the edge of the drop off and this enormus shark came blasting past us over the edge and off into the blue. Probably a reef shark, but a big one. I did get a little bit of the heebie jeebies after that, wondering what was making that big thing run like it was scared of something...

 

[zboss]

Almost any shark can get agitated and dangerous. Signs are arched back, jerky swimming, lowered pectorals. If I see these signs I will get out of the water.
That said, the only shark I've seen act that way when I was in the water was a pair of big bulls, and I did get out.
I would get out if a Great White were in the area regardless of its behavior.
Rick

we were diving the Shurz... and a bunch of divers thought they saw something very big swim by. A couple of days later a fisherman captured a Great White on video just a few miles from the dive site... yes, it's a big ocean but one has to wonder.

 

[pataussiediver]

I reckon if i saw a 'whitey' when I was in the water i'd move faster than Ian Thorpe!
I wouldn't hang around if a tiger came along either, though there's other smaller sharks in this state (Vic,Aus) that aren't very friendly.
A few months ago my friend was reaching under a ledge, trying to get a crayfish, when he was 'bumped' by a Bronze Whaler. It kept coming back at him and he had to fend it off with his fins. You can bet he got out of the water pretty quick. He rang me immediately after it happened, he sounded like someone who had just done their first parachute jump!

 

[Scott Riemer]

I think anything that made me immediately uncomfortable would expedite my departure from the water. But, specifically, I'm sure a Great White would do the trick.

Off the topic a little, I saw a thread where someone was talking about wanting to dive (intentionally) with Orcas. I don't think I'd be real comfortable in that situation. I'd be downright scared. Talk about rapid air consumption.

 

[zboss]

What do you think might happen if a shark ate part of a cow brain with mad cow disease?

That would make me worried...

I see a two-part mini-series in my head...

 

[mempilot]

What shark would get me out of the water?

If I saw a Megalodon with a Great White swimming back and forth over his back saying, "Can we George? Can we? Can we eat em George? I love divers George! I can hug em and squeeze em, and then I can eat em George!"

Check out the relative size graphic. Good things these guys are long gone!

 

[pataussiediver]

Well Mempilot, I think we've still got a few that size down here! Better send a research team.

 

[mempilot]

You Aussie's always gotta do it bigger! I mean, you got those rats so big that they walk upright and all! ) WTF

 

[Wijbrandus]

If I was lucky enough to have a cage, I'd be all over jumping in the water with the big sharks. That's one of my goals in life, to cage-dive with great whites.

If I'm just doing my tourist thing in open water, any shark anywhere near my size that didn't immediately skedaddle would have me bailing out. Ok, if I even SAW a shark near my size, I'd be gone.

What can I say? I'm a product of the Jaws generation. I love to look at them, but I really really really need my security blanket. And I do remember how well that cage worked in the first movie... Ick.

 

[pataussiediver]

Yep, everything's big down here! We can't help it, things just grow well, must be the sunshine. We laugh in the face of the texans. The only thing they've got bigger is their hats and their guns!
Beleive it or not, those big rats can be dangerous, you don't mess with the males.