subject: Shark Attacks: Tips for Surviving the Worst Case Scenario [print this page] Shark Attacks: Tips for Surviving the Worst Case Scenario
Of all the marine dwelling predators of this world, none are more perfectly designed and adapted for the kill than the shark. A shark's acute sense of smell, aerodynamic body, and intimidating teeth make it a formidable hunter. In general they don't hunt humans, but it is difficult for them to discern between one prey and the next. Being a curious beast by design, sharks use their highly honed senses to find prey; capable of tasting blood from vast distances, they would naturally be attracted to an injured/bleeding swimmer. Shiny objects and surfers paddling on their surf boards attract sharks too, if not to feed on then only to satisfy their curiosity.If you are lucky enough to have the time to react to a shark (some people suffer surprise attacks) the most important thing to remember is to remain as calm as possible; avoid the fight or flight response to start thrashing water as this will just attract the animal to you. The principle is simple: when a lesser animal in the food chain is confronted by a predator, their first instinct is to escape, startled. If you do this, the shark will know for sure that you are prey and attack. You must calmly make your way towards shore, making sure to never to take your eyes off the circling shark.If you are not bleeding and are in shallow waters, chances are high that you will make it out of the water. If there are many of you in the water, your chances are even higher. The shark may find it futile to attack you while you are part of a group (strength in numbers) but it may be persistent and try to charge at one of you.The most vulnerable areas on the animal's anatomy are its gills and eyes. You can also punch the shark on the snout as hard as you can to disrupt its ability to sense electrical fields and temperature gradients in the water for a few moments.Usually on its first attack, the shark will approach you at a much slower speed with the aim of grazing you just to determine whether you bleed or not. This will be your best, if not only, opportunity to wound the animal and cause it to flee. If you fail, there is little else to do than get to shore or shallow waters as fast as you can.Taking precaution in open seas can save your life and the scary experience of meeting a shark. Never go diving or swimming in open seas alone, never swim in the ocean/sea at night or when visibility is poor, and remember to never panic or thrash water once you've spotted a shark.
