Shark Facts
|
Shark AttacksSharks killed a dozen people worldwide in 2011, a two-decade high as tourists ventured into waters in remote areas far from medical care, Florida researchers say. Australia had three shark attack fatalities and there were two each in Reunion, the Seychelles and South Africa, and one each in Costa Rica, Kenya and New Caledonia No fatalities occurred in the United States, which saw a five-year downturn in the number of reported unprovoked shark attacks said the director of the International Shark Attack File from the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida. 'We had a number of fatalities in out-of the way places, where there's not the same quantity and quality of medical attention readily available,' Burgess said. 'They also don't have histories of shark attacks in these regions, so there are not contingency plans in effect like there are in places such as Florida.' Despite the increased number of deaths last year, humans still pose a much greater risk to sharks than sharks do to humans. The bottom line is that these animals have an unfairly dangerous reputation - thanks to Hollywood - and your chances of being wacked by a great white are smaller than being killed in a household accident.
Shark Facts• You have more chance of being hit on the head by a coconut or bitten by a New Yorker than being bitten by a shark. • Sharks prefer eating fish or seals to humans. A human bite is usually a mistake. • They don't usually assault something bigger than themselves. • If it circles you it is probably just curious, not hungry. • On average sharks kill 5 humans a year, but up to 75 million sharks are killed over the same period, mostly to provide the fins for shark fin soup. We should be enjoying viewing and protecting these animals, not eating them!
Shark Attack Hot Spots 2012Western Australia and Reunion Island near Madagascar have been named as the new global hotspots for shark attacks in an annual survey. There were 80 unprovoked shark attacks, including seven fatalities, worldwide in 2012, slightly more than 2011, according to the survey conducted by the University of Florida. While Australia had an 'average year' with 14 attacks and two fatalities, it is the second consecutive year for multiple shark attacks in Western Australia (WA) and Reunion Island, a French territory located in the Indian Ocean. WA had five attacks and Reunion Island three. Western Australia had mainly white shark incidents and Reunion bull shark incidents. Of the 80 attacks worldwide, 53 were in the US, the highest number in a decade. The majority were in Florida with 26 recorded attacks, followed by Hawaii with ten attacks. While the figures show a growth in the number of attacks worldwide, the report stated that it probably reflects the increasing amount of time spent in the sea by humans. Surfers experienced the majority of shark incidents last year, with 60 per cent, followed by swimmers with 22 per cent and divers with 8 per cent. Australians could reduce the risk of shark attacks by avoiding areas and times when sharks are most common. In Western Australia people have been getting hit in areas of known white shark abundance at times of the year when shark numbers are at their highest. It is our responsibility to stay out of the water at these times.
Bull shark.
The most dangerous sharksThe sharks most likely to go for humans are the larger mammal eating variety as they have the biggest bite and humans look far more like seals than fish. 45% of attacks are on surfers.
1- Bull sharks are more dangerous than the Great White, attack more or less anything, pump more testosterone than a bull elephant and attack more humans than any other shark. The bull shark likes murky water and has a higher tolerance to fresh/brackish water than other shark species which is why they can be found swimming in rivers. People often don’t expect sharks in rivers where, to make things worse, the water is often muddy and unclear. They often swim into rivers such as the Mississipi and the Ganges. What are the lessons ?
Tiger shark photo by Albert Kok 2- Tiger sharks are also very dangerous; up to 6m long they usually like deep water in the daytime and shallow water at night. They feed mainly at night.
Great White shark photo by Sharkdiver68 3- Great
White sharks
are the species portrayed in the film 'Jaws'. This is the biggest
shark in the sea that doesn't eat plankton, growing up to thirty
feet and dining mostly on seals.
Oceanic Whitetip shark photo by OldakQuill 4- Oceanic Whitetips, not to be confused with the White-Tipped Reef Shark; very dangerous; prefers deep water; unpredictable behaviour, will attack anything indiscriminately.
There are three kinds of attack• Hit and run: usually a single strike in a surf area as a result of mistaken identity or territorial dominance. Injuries are minor. • Bump and bite: the animal is hungry and surveys the prey in decreasing circles, bumping it to get an initial flavour. After the bump comes the bite, if you're tasty enough. Neoprene probably wouldn't fit the bill. Repeat visits are common and injuries severe. • Sudden strike: often by the Great White. Repeat visits are common and injuries severe.
Avoiding an attackDon't go alone - these animals tend to go for lone prey as their senses can tune in better on the target and they like easy meat. Sharks, like all predators, tend to go after solitary individuals, the weak and the infirm, and are less likely to attack people or fish in groups. Furthermore, since great whites and tiger sharks tend to retreat after the first bite it's useful to have victim assistance nearby. Don't go in deep - while it is true that some attacks happen in shallow water, more often sharks travel around steep drop offs or near river mouths, as that is where their natural food congregates. Don't swim or surf in murky water - mistaken identity is generally the reason that people are attacked and in surf and/or murky water hungry critters can see you less well. Then again, you can't see them at all! Don't go for dawn/dusk/night swims - the favoured hunting time and poor vision time for you. Don't go in if there's blood - sharks can smell it many miles away so don't enter the water with open wounds, near where people are fishing/spear fishing, or near ocean garbage, and ladies should not go in during their monthly cycle. Don't wear jewellery - a shark's vision is not that great as they rely on vibrations or electrical signals in the water. However they do pick up on contrasting tones of dark and light very well which help them catch shiny fish. Highly contrasting wetsuits (e.g. black and white), swimsuits or jewellery may get part of you mistaken for a fish. Don't go bare - wear a wetsuit, nothing like the taste of neoprene to put you off your dinner! Don't panic - if you see a shark, leave the water as quietly and quickly as possible, or stay still and vertical (i.e. unlike a seal) Don't swim where others have been attacked - sharks do strike twice, unlike lightning. The recreational groups most attacked are surfers, with bathers second. Surfers splash a lot in surf conditions which making it easier for sharks to mistake their identity. Surfers also spend the greatest proportion of time in the water. Since 1980 over 300 surfers worldwide have been mauled by sharks.
If you're being circled or otherwise inspectedSwimmers and surfers - if the shark is circling you it may be just curious and checking its territory but if it continues circling and seems hungry try to look the opposite of its regular entreé - a seal. In other words don't splash and get/stay vertical. Another preventative measure is to join hands with another person, making your combined profile much bigger than the shark will wish to attack. Japanese pearl divers used to take off their loincloth and trail it in the water, increasing the apparent size of the swimmer.
If you're attackedSwimmers and surfers - look around the surface and below for a shadow, punch and kick at the animal's nose and eyes if a repeat attack occurs*. Shout for help and if you think surf savvy bathers or lifeguard are present, the sign that you are in trouble is one arm raised high - do not wave with one arm, you may just get greeted back. If you need to wave use both arms or try the international divers shark sign of finger tips together - like a dorsal fin. Get out of the water as fast as possible but without panicked splashing; swim smoothly and you will go faster. Your flippers will work best and attract fewer predatory fish if they don't splash, so learn how to use them properly. *Yes really! Some surfers at a competition in Florida 2001 were attacked repeatedly by several sharks. They literally punched and kicked the menacing fish away from their boards because they wanted to get on with the competition. Some lacerations resulted but all the surfers lived to tell the tale. A British surfer was attacked by a Great White in South Africa in 2005. It grabbed his leg and dragged him along, however he punched and kicked the beast and lived to tell the tale on national television! Give
a helping hand:
Scuba diversIf you have weapons, use them. If not, try to hit the shark's eyes or nose with anything - your camera, a rock or your fist. Look Great Whites in the eye. Really! They prefer to attack things
that are not looking at them! The
most reported attacks: 2. Africa 3. Central and South America 4. Australia and the Pacific Islands
Some
recorded incidents in the USA resulting in death: Email from John Peery of both Marin County, California and Martin County, Florida, 2011: Bull sharks are often spotted at, and dangerous visitors in and around, Stuart FL (I've seen them from the air, in a low-flying plane, swimming among human swimmers, while white sharks are common around San Francisco, both north (Marin County) of, and south of (San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties), at some of the best surfing spots. This is an important distinction, because one of areas of most common sightings in Northern California is the shallow water at Stinson Beach in MARIN County, just north of San Francisco. Stinson Beach, is a favorite spot to take kids for boogie boarding, in part because the water is shallow and wave action subdued, and in part because it's easier to spot the whites there, and get people out of the water. The local lifeguards are very good at spotting the unwanted visitors. They immediately close the beach. 2009, September, shark species unknown, swimming at dusk, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.
Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh, 2010: Two sharks attacked 5 swimmers over 6 days, killing one and maiming the others. At least two of the attacks were by the same Oceanic Whitetip (picture above), a very unusual occurrence. Another shark involved was probably a Shortfin Mako. Reasons for the remarkable series of attacks in shallow waters by pelagic (deep water) sharks
Diving with sharksHalf a million people dive with sharks every year, some in cages, some in chain mail, some in nothing at all. The #1 spot for shark diving is South Africa (especially to see Great Whites), though Australia's Barrier Reef or the Ningaloo Reef (especially good for massive Whale Sharks) on Australia's west coast are also excellent. A British shark cage tourist in Hermanus, South Africa, March '05, had a narrow escape when a 20ft Great White did a good job of dismantling his cage and almost got to the main course. There is some concern among local people and conservationists generally that sharks are associating the bait used to attract the big fish with the humans that hang around in the vicinity. In other words sharks are being trained to recognise this equation: easy food = humans. More information on how, when and where from Florida Museum of Natural History, USA. Stories from shark attack survivors, how they did it. Incredible photos of Great Whites hunting seals off the coast of South Africa.
Lion Attacks | Crocodile and Alligator Attacks | Scorpion Stings | Snake bites Bee and Wasp Stings | Blue-Ringed Octopus and Stonefish | Bear Attacks | Jellyfish Stings
Do you have any shark advice or anecdotes? |
