First things first: Despite some truly terrifying survival stories, it’s incredibly unlikely you’ll be fighting a shark anytime soon.
But sharks occasionally attack humans. Florida teenager Addison Bethea was seriously injured recently when a shark attacked her in the waters off Keaton Beach along Florida’s Gulf Coast.
And while this type of encounter understandably causes fear in would-be ocean swimmers, there’s no need to panic about your next beach vacation.
The chances of being attacked by a shark are extremely low.
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack Archive found only 73 confirmed and unprovoked shark bites in people and 39 confirmed and provoked bites in 2021 worldwide.
Think about it for a minute — the world’s population is approaching 8 billion people. Many of them live close by or vacation on the coast. And only 112 bites were recorded. Your chances of drowning are much, much higher.
In 2021, the United States led the unprovoked attacks at 47; Florida had the highest total in the state at 28.
That said, you can take steps to increase your chances of survival during a highly unlikely attack, according to shark experts interviewed by CNN Travel .
Before entering the water, know your environment
Sharks are saltwater creatures. The ocean is your home; we are the visitors. “If you’re going out into the ocean, you should assume you can find a shark, regardless of when or where it is,” said Neil Hammerschlag, director of the Shark Research and Conservation Program at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School.
“Fortunately, humans are not on the menu, and fortunately, sharks tend to avoid people.”
Still, there are places where you are more likely to encounter a shark.
River mouths are not the best place to swim
You should avoid estuaries, said Richard Peirce, author, shark expert and former president of the UK-based Shark Trust and Shark Conservation Society.
Its often murky waters are a favorite of bull sharks, which are most likely to attack humans, along with great whites and tiger sharks.
“Many attacks occur at the mouths of rivers, where there is silt and other materials suspended in the river — people washing their clothes, people washing themselves,” Peirce said.
Hammerschlag pointed to another area where an encounter is more likely: deeper channels between the coast and more distant sandbars.
Avoid fishing areas
Before jumping into the sea, take a look at the horizon: What do you see? If you see fishing boats, Peirce says “forget it”.
“Whether the fishing activity is commercial or recreational, material will often be discarded, and unwanted dead fish, fish parts and the action of eviscerating fish are putting scraps in the water and drawing the attention of sharks,” he said.
Before entering, watch for unusual fish activity, such as a bunch of small and medium-sized fish jumping out of the water, Hammerschlag said. This is a possible sign that a shark may be nearby.
He also advised not to swim within 50 meters of where someone is fishing from shore.
Avoid dusk and dawn
Swimming early in the morning or late at night can be lovely, but it’s also the time when a shark attack is most likely.
“Many shark attacks are cases of mistaken identity,” says Peirce, “due to the reduced visibility and ability to identify the shark.”
Stick with the lifeguards
Chris Lowe, professor of marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, advises to “do your homework” before entering uncharted waters. Learn a little about the species you can find in different places.
If you have any questions, ask a local lifeguard. He said they are a great resource.
“I always recommend that people go to guarded beaches. It is much safer,” she said.
Do not use shiny objects in the water
“Beware of jewelry, anything that shines because sharks are always looking for fish.” said Lowe.
In murky water, a shark might think the flash is a sign of a meal. “And you don’t want your hand or your foot to be confused with that.”
follow your instincts
“Probably the most important thing is to follow your gut,” said Hammerschlag. “If you feel cautious about going into the water… just don’t go into the water.”
“Many people who have been bitten have actually said they had a strange feeling before that, like they had an inner voice telling them to get out of the water and they didn’t hear it,” he said.
If a shark is around, don’t panic
So you are being surrounded by a shark. The worst thing you can do right now is panic.
“Don’t start playing — you’ll only excite, incite and encourage the shark’s interest,” Peirce said.
Humans, monkeys, dogs and cats have paws and hands. If we want to explore something, we pick it up and touch it, feel it, put it on our nose.
“A shark doesn’t have paws or hands, so if it wants to explore something, the only ability it has to do that is to put it in its mouth,” Peirce said.
“That’s why we often get exploratory bites that don’t result in death and sometimes don’t even result in serious injury. to bite.”
keep eye contact
As the shark swims around you, keep your head swiveling and try to maintain eye contact.
“Sharks are ambush predators,” explained Peirce. “If you’re turning around and facing him all the time as he circles you, it won’t be as comfortable as if he could sneak in from behind.”
Hammerschlag agreed, saying that you should position your body towards the shark so that it knows you see it and are following it. Then slowly head back towards your exit to a boat or shore.
If you’re surfing, track the shark with your board, Lowe said. “Let the shark know it’s being watched.”
Get big or get small
This is where it gets complicated. If a shark is clearly in attack mode, you need to make yourself as big in the water as possible, according to Peirce.
“The higher you are in the water, the more respect you will get,” he said.
But if the shark appears to be simply passing by, Peirce’s advice is to curl up in a ball.
“If a shark sees you as a competitor for its food source, that could be one of the reasons it attacks you,” he explained.
“If I didn’t want to be seen by a great white shark as a competitor — and if it wasn’t showing great interest in me — I would really slug it out for him to show even less interest in me.”
If you’re being attacked, don’t play dead.
This isn’t a bear, it’s a shark. If you find yourself a shark attacking you, don’t worry: punch, kick and poke at sensitive spots — but be careful where to aim.
“There’s all this talk about punching a shark in the nose. Okay, but remember that just below the nose is a mouth,” said Peirce.
“This is a moving object in the water and you don’t stand still either, so what you don’t want to do is end up effectively punching your mouth or anywhere near it.”
A good jab to the gills can also do the job: “Gills are very sensitive — hitting a shark in the gills is not a bad idea.”
Are you carrying something with you? If yes, turn it into a weapon.
“If you’re a diver with an underwater camera, use it, if you’re a diver, pull out your snorkel and use it to poke the shark,” says Peirce.
“I had a lot of sharks come at me, and it was enough to use a billy shark — a small metal rod between two and three feet long — and I used it to give them a little push on their nose.”
It’s a good idea to swim with other people, Lowe said. Not only does this lessen the chances of an attack, he said, but you have someone to help you get to a boat or shore if you are bitten.
decrease the angles
If you’re a diver and you’re having trouble, try to get into a position where the shark can’t get behind you, says Peirce.
“Keep your back to something like a coral reef. So you only have one direction to look. You are protected from behind, for example, and that allows you to keep the shark in sight in front of you and maybe swim to the top of the reef slowly to where your boat is.”
Swim backwards slowly
Displace as little water as possible. Try not to flounder and dive as you gradually swim backwards towards shore.
“You should try to keep the animal in sight and slowly and gently try to swim backwards and into shallow water. Again, you need to be careful — large sharks can attack at very shallow depths.”
Doing the above can help to an extent, but Peirce says the likelihood of escaping unharmed when a great shark attacks is slim.
“If a white shark is in full attack mode, there’s not much you can do at that point,” he says.
Source: CNN Brasil
