For some time now people have been offering opinions in relation to how to deal with what appears to be a growing occurrence of shark attacks along our coast lines. Comments and solutions are offered in the heat of the moment with scant regard for the reality of the situation and usually amongst the hysteria whipped up by the media, or if not, allowed to filter through the media for want of a story that increases reader numbers. Regardless of what your opinion is, the conditions in which this is all fuelled are poor to say the least and in most cases do not provide a balanced view that would allow the people that do not know anything about the subject to form an educated opinion.
That we, humans, like to spend time in the water, which is not our natural habitat is one thing, and the ability to continue to do that must never be taken away by any other person. However this ability should also never be seen as offering us an exclusive right that is detrimental to both the environment and the marine life that does call the ocean home. Yes, the ocean is home to many other creatures that live there, and I believe they must continue to be allowed to live as they have for countless years without our intervention.
Over recent years, shark attacks have come more into the public eye and the fact is that if you look at statistics throughout the world, shark attacks are still one of the least likely ways that humans may be killed, behind things like pigs, cows and coconuts to name just a few. I can see no real plausible reason for the reporting of shark attacks to be more prevalent than any of the many other things that occur which leaves me wondering. Most reports paint the picture of sharks stalking beaches, lurking in the depths waiting for the next human to enter the water, but the reality is that is just the attention grabbing word set chosen to make the news story something akin to the Jaws stories of the 70’s and 80’s. The storylines offered in these novels / films, are fictional in so many ways however we the public do have a habit of taking fictionalised information and seeing truth in it in our real life situations, so I am going to demystify what you have been told and may believe so that you will be able to take informed viewpoints in the future.
Firstly I will be very clear, that depending on what science or belief you have, Sharks have potentially lived in the oceans for hundreds of millions of years, and this is well before man is supposed to have come into existence. They never have, and still do not predate the waters in search of humans for food. The fact is that they generally travel throughout many different habitats in search of food sources dependant greatly on availability. Sharks are loners for most of their lives and with the exception of some species that do use numbers to assist in getting prey into vulnerable situations to feed, they usually only hunt as individuals. Sharks generally eat other fish species, although from time to time they do eat other sharks, and they will eat seals and ray species as well as other sea creatures. Usually sharks will prey on injured or weak individuals within the habitats that they are living, which ensures that the stronger of the predated species thrive and survive. Sharks also eat dead or rotting fish and play a vital roll in keeping the oceans healthy.
Sharks are extremely intelligent creatures and as they search for food, they do so using years of experience and techniques that are a part of their natural instinct. Like most creatures they use conditions to their advantage and that is where they are at their best when it comes to finding and catching prey. Whilst it is suggested that eyesight in sharks is good. It is the sense of smell and electromagnetic vibrations that assist it when seeking out food, although eyesight does play a role in identifying shapes, it is yet to be proven that it is used to play a role in identification to a detailed extent. In some instances sharks feel object or the prey where it is unsure by mouthing it, which usually does not help where flesh is concerned, because even a light bite will lead to injury and potential death from massive blood loss, which is what occurs in most cases.
Considering the above, we need to be very wary about where and how we use the water. Firstly, swimming in murky water is not advised because that is a condition which sharks are often found hunting and it is more likely you will just be a thrashing form. Early morning and evening, or night is another time considered to be undesirable again due to light conditions. Swimming where the usual prey of sharks can normally be found is unadvisable. You can imagine swimming with seals where great whites are found and you in your black wetsuit, are likely to look like the slowest seal in the group. Last of all, a common mistake made by spearfishermen is to hang the freshly caught fish from a bag at their side. Sharks do not necessarily distinguish with the person, just the smell and possible movement of injured or dead fish, hence they take a bite of the bag and the person.
Now I have given you some situations that put you at risk of shark attack. It is not extensive, but hopefully it gives you some idea of what conditions to be wary of. Now I am going to give you one last bit of important information to help you better understand the side of sharks that few see. As I have said, sharks do not naturally seek out humans for food. Fact is, I have dived with certain shark species and at no stage have I felt the slightest bit threatened. I have seen film footage of divers with great white sharks, tiger sharks and other species that may be considered aggressive, yet quite respectfully, I did not see fear in that person at all. I must say however that at all times a mutual respect was shown and that a level of caution was applied as it should always be with wild animals. Sharks in most instances will be inquisitive, but not aggressive. They will usually shy away from humans, but if cornered, if feeling threatened, like any wild animal, they may act to protect themselves. As a general rule it is advised to never approach a shark in a manner that is threatening. It is always advisable to maintain eye contact and never attempt to make physical contact for the sake of making contact.
I will not assure you that if you do all I have said, or follow all I suggest, that you will never be subject of a shark attack. Sharks are wild animals and therefore unpredictable, but I can tell you that if you remain informed, aware and respectful, the chances are that your experiences in the vast beautiful ocean will be pleasurable.
Armed with what you now know, I hope that you can make informed interpretations of reports relating to shark species and incidents involving sharks and humans. I hope that you will understand the integral role sharks play in the natural food chain, the health of the oceans and the control of species number that maintains a natural balance in this watery environment. They have a greater right to survive and live in the oceans than we do, and we must be respectful when we choose to share it with them. We cannot let our natural human greed to own everything be the determining factor in how we react to shark attacks. Taking all I have said and acting in a responsible manner is just one way to reduce shark attacks. Electronic devices and other non-lethal methods, along with tagging and tracking of sharks can also assist in reducing the potential of shark related incidents.
Should you have anything to add, any feedback, please write to me in the comments below.
Tagged: amazing, animals, change, destruction, earth, education, fish, future, humans, life, mark jones, ocean, one world, photography, respect, scuba, scuba diving, shark, shark attack, thoughts, Water
A really well written argument in defence of sharks against all the ‘shark attack’ hysteria. So nice to read an article with some common sense in it on this issue. Most shark ‘attacks’ are actually sharks defending themselves or engaging in their regular feeding behaviour, with humans accidentally getting in the way. A teenager gets a scratch on the finger after spearfishing, it’s headline news! Tanks for this excellent article 🙂