Leonard had some great points. And just a few more thoughts.
For anyone with a fear of what’s in the water, I would recommend reading Shark Trouble: True Stories About Sharks and the Sea -- by Peter Benchley (the author of Jaws). Now before you start thinking this is a Jaws 2, this is a non-fiction work in which Benchley dispels many of the myths of sharks and other denizens of the deep
It was written in 2002, after the “Summer of the Shark Attacks” and is more of an argument against all of the shark hype. A chapter called "The Summer of Hype" sets the record straight on the 2001 media hysteria. The book discusses the real dangers of swimming in the ocean (e.g., tides, rips, and other currents) and how to avoid getting caught, as well as what signs to look for to avoid confrontations with sharks and other potentially dangerous sea creatures.
Now, back to your question - Basic rules to follow to avoid encounters with sharks include:
1) Don’t swim in areas frequented by sharks, at least not during the season that they are there.
2) Don’t swim through schools of bait fish, you can often spot these by a flock of sea birds flying overhead, diving for fish.
3) Don’ swim near boats that are chumming/fishing for sharks
4) Try to avoid swimming at dawn and dusk, this is when many sharks typically feed
5) Don’t wear shiny jewelry when you swim, many fish (including sharks and barracuda) are attracted to these.
6) If you see fins don’t get in or if you are already in the water don’t panic. Many fins belong to dolphins, however sometimes sharks and dolphins swim in close proximity.
7) And back to don’t panic – if you do see a shark try not to panic (yea right!!) most sharks are more interested in you as a curiosity and not food, however if you madly try to dash away you may aggravate the shark or lead it to believe that you are some odd sort of wounded fish that requires a closer inspection. It’s important to remember that no one can out swim a shark, so let them swim away from you.
And finally, very few people swimming in the ocean ever encounter a shark, even fewer encounter a potentially dangerous one and of those even fewer are actually attached. Statistically more people in the USA are killed by pigs then by sharks and how many of us are deathly afraid of pigs?
Leonard had some great points. And just a few more thoughts.
For anyone with a fear of what’s in the water, I would recommend reading Shark Trouble: True Stories About Sharks and the Sea -- by Peter Benchley (the author of Jaws). Now before you start thinking this is a Jaws 2, this is a non-fiction work in which Benchley dispels many of the myths of sharks and other denizens of the deep
It was written in 2002, after the “Summer of the Shark Attacks” and is more of an argument against all of the shark hype. A chapter called "The Summer of Hype" sets the record straight on the 2001 media hysteria. The book discusses the real dangers of swimming in the ocean (e.g., tides, rips, and other currents) and how to avoid getting caught, as well as what signs to look for to avoid confrontations with sharks and other potentially dangerous sea creatures.
Now, back to your question - Basic rules to follow to avoid encounters with sharks include:
1) Don’t swim in areas frequented by sharks, at least not during the season that they are there.
2) Don’t swim through schools of bait fish, you can often spot these by a flock of sea birds flying overhead, diving for fish.
3) Don’ swim near boats that are chumming/fishing for sharks
4) Try to avoid swimming at dawn and dusk, this is when many sharks typically feed
5) Don’t wear shiny jewelry when you swim, many fish (including sharks and barracuda) are attracted to these.
6) If you see fins don’t get in or if you are already in the water don’t panic. Many fins belong to dolphins, however sometimes sharks and dolphins swim in close proximity.
7) And back to don’t panic – if you do see a shark try not to panic (yea right!!) most sharks are more interested in you as a curiosity and not food, however if you madly try to dash away you may aggravate the shark or lead it to believe that you are some odd sort of wounded fish that requires a closer inspection. It’s important to remember that no one can out swim a shark, so let them swim away from you.
And finally, very few people swimming in the ocean ever encounter a shark, even fewer encounter a potentially dangerous one and of those even fewer are actually attached. Statistically more people in the USA are killed by pigs then by sharks and how many of us are deathly afraid of pigs?
