Today I want to share my thoughts, once again, on a subject which needs to be addressed on a well informed and sensible level.
On the weekend, a scuba diver lost his life in Tasmania. He was the victim of a shark attack. The loss of his life will be a very traumatic thing for his family and I feel deeply sorry that they must go through this.
As usual, there are thoughts from all over the place calling for all sorts of action to be taken, yet unfortunately I see very little if any sort of discussion about how to responsibly reduce the risks which present themselves, and to promote safer diving or use of the water.
Here are my thoughts about what I know and see, and how I believe the whole situation should be addressed.
Firstly. Over the last years, there have been a number reports about shark attacks, which due to the way they are reported seems to be become far more frequent, but in reality it would be marginally more if not the same in frequency. These reports seem to focus so much on the emotional situation, that when all is said and done, nothing about those situations changes. The majority of shark attacks can be explained with very good reason, and the majority of times they could possibly have been avoided. Now this is where there is a very serious problem. Most people who use the water understand the risks involved with doing so. They know what situations will put them at greater risk, and what situations will not. Those people, which includes me, should understand and accept what they are doing and make choices for which they take full responsibility, instead of laying blame where it clearly does not exist.
My greatest fear is for people who don’t understand the risks, who are not informed because there is no focus on education, and all you get from the media is that the incident is random and out of character. If the media report focused on the facts, the cold hard facts, then maybe the message would get out there. As best as I can, I shall outline what I know, and from there I hope that people will start to gain a better understanding. If the media report was to read, “Diver taken whilst collecting shellfish, with a catch bag strapped to his body in poor visibility, whilst diving near a seal colony,” then that would put a different perspective on things, but it would not sensationalise it for the newspapers.
Now I am not saying that this is always the situation, but in an effort to educate people, here are some thoughts to be considered.
Surfers and swimmers can be easily mistaken for other sea creatures, because of the shape they form in the water. Very few who are attacked are taken and are never recovered. Sharks in many cases mouth potential prey in an effort to determine what it is. It is during this that the victims usually suffer from traumatic wounds and bleed to death.
When it comes to divers, the majority of shark attacks occur where those divers are either collecting abalone, crayfish or scallops, or to spear fishermen also collecting fish. Many times, the water itself is not clear and the dead or dying fish attract other marine life which includes sharks. This is not a new fact, and there are those out there who take precautions when entering the water for those purposes. Some acknowledge the risks and do not enter in certain situations, or take precautions to keep away from prime shark regions where the abundant sea life attracts them to normally feed. Others will tow there catch behind them at a safe distance, rather than attach it to their side. The fact is that sharks do not hunt human beings. As a matter of fact, most are very wary of us and will keep a safe distance, but the is not to say that given particular situations they will not attack.
Over the last few days I have seen irresponsible posts from people calling for the culling of sharks. The unfortunate thing is that these calls from these particular people have nothing to do with a knee jerk response, and they are not uneducated when it comes to the ocean. These people fully understand the risks involved with entering the ocean, and the sport they partake in, and the calls they make are based totally on self-interest. If they spent more time making sure that the risks were properly explained, that the precautions to take were properly outlined, then fewer inexperienced people would fall victim to shark attacks. You will always have those who know the risks, take the chance and fall victim to shark attack. But then that is like many things in life we do.
I dive in the ocean, and I enjoy those moments immensely. I believe that I am so lucky to get the opportunity to see what I have seen, and I fully understand my place in it and I fully understand that I am just a visitor in someone else’s domain. I have swum with sharks, and I was told what to be aware of and I was informed of the risks regardless. There are times where I dive and the situation is not perfect, and I know that I have a choice to end my dive and exit the water. That is a choice I must make, and at times I have done so, but it is my choice. If for some reason I was to fall victim to a shark attack, I would hold no malice, and I most certainly would haunt anyone who thought they had a right to take revenge on my behalf. I know the risks, even in times when there may appear to be no risk, so I take responsibility.
Last of all I would like you to remember. We do not own the ocean. Being intelligent as we are, does not entitle us to exclusive use of this planet, and it does not entitle us to destroy all the life which inhibits us from living as we please. Instead we should use our intelligence to act more responsibly, so that we can all enjoy life and share the many riches which present themselves to us on a daily basis.
So, please, if you have nothing constructive to say I would ask that you say nothing at all. If your words are full of self-interest then please remember, that you can fool those that don’t know, but you will discredit yourself to those of us intelligent enough to see past the emotion of it all. So rather than contribute to the frenzy of misinformed media, say something which will genuinely help reduce the occurrence of these incidents through a better awareness and the sharing of your own knowledge base and experiences.
An important and thought provoking article about a critical issue for our world and our oceans …