Avoiding Shark
Attacks
Ken Moran accepts no responsibility
for the safety of anyone employing any advice from this page.
There is no
implication of safety or offering of liability by the author or this site.
The only absolute safety is either not swimming or not swimming with sharks.
Enter the water at your own risk
If
you have more questions about this species or any other species of shark,
ask
the Shark Wrangler!
He has handled live sharks of every species on this site except blues and
makos.
Please, read this page first to make certain your question is
not already answered.
SHARK ATTACKS ARE ON THE RISE! Take Care in the
Ocean!!!
I
am posting this warning as an addition to this page given the clear rise in
frequency of attacks on the East Coast of America. Please, take my
warnings seriously and use caution in your aquatic activities in the ocean.
As large coastal species, such as the Sandbar Shark, are overprotected and their
population explodes, the pressure on the available food supply has increased
notably. This competition for food is going to force large sharks to look
to new prey in order to survive.
Be careful! Posted November 2008
While there are no assurances of absolute
safety in the
ocean, statistical safety is always on your side. Given the
number of swimmers, surfers, floaters, skiers, and other bathers in the oceans
of the world at any given time compared to the actual number of shark attacks in
those same waters, there is relatively little risk of shark attack in being in
the waters of our oceans. I know that this is little comfort to those of
you that are afraid of sharks or the ocean. I hope that fear will not stop
you from enjoying our beaches.
I, personally, am more concerned of a
shark bite while floating in the open sea than at a
beach. That is because
sharks have grown more accustomed to seeing us in the break zone on a beach than
out in the open waters. It is also
because many larger shark species tend to attack at the surface and from below
(a case in point, white sharks). Therefore, I limit my float time at the
surface when I dive offshore. I also have noted that while diving sharks
seem to regard me as a dangerous part of their underwater home. They have
been more bold in bumping or rubbing me at the surface than when I was eye to
eye with them. Nevertheless,
I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE DIVE WITH SHARKS outside the safety of a shark cage. As was seen on a Discovery Channel program,
sharks do reserve the right to bite without provocation.
Though the entire question of swimmer
safety and causes of shark attacks open a veritable panacea of complex variables
and issues of theory and debate, I will only focus on the "old standby" approach
to water safety. I will give a little insight into shark behavior and the
variables surrounding the probability of an attack. However, I will try and
keep it short and sweet. I will do this with lists for your understanding
and ease of reading. Remember, sharks will bite regardless of your
standing on the surface, so no matter if you have a PHD in Physics or a
business administration degree. Even if you are Mr. Universe you are
not above being bitten.
Variables that increase the probability of
SHARK PRESENCE
-
The presence of shark food (bait fish,
squid, marine mammals)
-
The presence of large shipping channels
from the open sea
-
Higher Water temperature (this dictates
the probable presence of certain large active species)
-
Commercial shark fishing seasons (based on
their presence in an area)
-
Piers, underwater obstructions, or
formations that attract fish
-
Dump areas like docks where food or seafood are
dumped into the ocean
-
Shark Nursery areas (Breeding and pupping
grounds)
-
Riverine system drainage where nutrient
rich water is provided to the ocean
All these types of variables increase the
chance that a shark might be in the area. They do not necessarily indicate
the chance of an attack. There are, however, variables that increase risk
of attack and variables that account for the likelihood of attack. These
are due in part to learning principles common to all animals and the psychology
of sharks. Yes, I just said there is shark psychology. People often
fail to understand that much of what we know about human psychology comes from
our study of animal psychology. So, let's look at a few variables that
increase the chance of attack when there are sharks in the water.
Variables that increase the chance of
shark attack
-
Low occurrence of swimming (beaches where
swimmers are not found regularly in the water)
-
Deep drop-offs near shore
-
Deeper waters
-
Shipping channels
-
Dumping grounds
-
Presence of bait fish in schools
Then there are the variables that account for shark attacks
-
Swimming or surfing ALONE or away from
others
-
Swimming at night
-
The presence of blood in the water
-
The presence of wounded fish near you
-
Wading in deep to reel in a fish
-
The presence of fishing vessels close by
-
INTERACTING WITH ANY SHARK IN THE WATER
-
HARASSING A SHARK
These types of things actually account for
the reason that a person was attacked by a shark. I use the word
"attacked" loosely as most bites are investigative or attempts to feed.
There are only a few cases of actual attacks. I consider an attack to have
occurred when someone willfully interacts or bothers a shark and the shark in
response tries to injure or kill that person. Anything else qualifies as a
bite (though all of you that have been bitten would say it was an attack).
Sharks lack arms and legs so when they nip
something in the water to find out what it is, the bite seems harsh to us, but,
like the nip of a dog or cat to the shark. This is an investigative bite.
A feeding bite is usually different. It is a forceful, seemingly violent
bite designed to kill or injure the target. Quite a few species of shark
like to bleed prey to death to conserve their strength and avoid injury.
In order to avoid a feeding bite (or
attack), there are some steadfast and unchanging rules that I live by when in
the water.
The RULES to avoid feeding attacks
-
Never swim alone in the ocean.
-
Never swim at night in the ocean.
-
Avoid swimming outside the surf zone.
-
Avoid surfing or swimming during known
migrations of sharks near shore (This has changed some since the migratory
pattern of large hammerheads of the Carolinas has shifted nearly eliminating our
observance of the old large near-shore migration of large hammerheads).
-
Never keep bait or speared fish on your
person while spear fishing or diving. (It is best to remove fish from the
water immediately.)
-
Do not enter the water bleeding or injured
where sharks may be present.
-
Do not float at the surface in open water
or in the gulf stream where surface feeding can be common.
-
Exit the water when massive migrations of
bait fish and squid move through your break.
-
If you see a shark feeding, keep calm and
move deliberately if you have to move.
-
Never swim or surf piers or other fishing
obstructions. These belong to the sharks.
-
RESPECT ALL SHARKS. The ocean is our
vacation spot, but, it is their home!
If you follow guidelines like the rules I
live by, you decrease your chances of being bitten by a shark. I make no
promises as to your safety. You may never be bitten by a shark, but, even
bream in a river can stop your heart when they nip you. Sharks are the
least of our worries in the water. Jellyfish, barracudas, sharp rocks,
broken glass, and many other minor hazards account for the usual injuries to
bathers. Don't forget the worst danger to beach goers, sunburn. So, don't focus so much on sharks that you forget the other
things that can hurt you. When you ride a motorcycle you should wear a
helmet because you could get hurt. The same applies to any recreational
activity. Prepare ahead of time and avoid any unnecessary risk to your
safety whenever you do anything in the water or on land.
Ken Moran
Shark Wrangler
If
you have more questions about this species or any other species of shark,
ask
the Shark Wrangler!
He has handled live sharks of every species on this site except blues and
makos.
Ebola
is looming!!!
Improve and prepare your home medicine cabinet RIGHT NOW!
Hospitals will be overflowing and overwhelmed. Be ready to care
for your own family safely at home from minor conditions to more serious
ones.
