How to survive a shark attack – or better yet, avoid one entirely

MIAMI – First issues first: Despite some actually terrifying tales of survival, you’re extremely unlikely to be duking it out with a shark any time quickly.

But sharks do often attack people. Florida teen Addison Bethea was severely injured just lately when a shark attacked her within the waters off Keaton Beach alongside Florida’s Gulf Coast.

And whereas this type of encounter understandably strikes concern into would-be ocean swimmers, there is no want to panic about your upcoming seashore trip. The possibilities of being attacked by a shark are extraordinarily low.

The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File discovered solely 73 confirmed, unprovoked shark bites on folks and 39 confirmed, provoked bites in 2021 worldwide.

Think about it a minute — the world inhabitants is nearing 8 billion folks. Many of these dwell close to or trip on the coast. And solely 112 bites have been logged. Your possibilities of drowning are a lot, a lot larger.

In 2021, the United States led the best way in unprovoked assaults at 47; Florida had the best state whole at 28.

That mentioned, you may take steps to enhance your possibilities of survival throughout a extremely unbelievable attack, in accordance to shark specialists interviewed by CNN Travel.

Before you get within the water

Know your atmosphere

Sharks are salt-water creatures. The ocean is their house; we’re the guests.

“If you’re going to the ocean, you have to assume you could encounter a shark regardless of when or where that is,” mentioned Neil Hammerschlag, director of the Shark Research and Conservation Program on the University of Miami Rosenstiel School.

“Fortunately, humans aren’t on the menu, and also fortunately, sharks tend to avoid people.”

Still, there are locations you are extra possible to encounter a shark.

River mouths aren’t one of the best place to swim

You ought to avoid estuaries, mentioned Richard Peirce, an creator, shark knowledgeable and former chair of the UK-based Shark Trust and Shark Conservation Society.

Their often-murky waters are a favourite with bull sharks, that are the almost definitely to attack people together with nice whites and tiger sharks.

“An awful lot of attacks occur in river mouths, where there is silt and other material in suspension in the river — people washing their clothes, people washing themselves,” mentioned Peirce.

Hammerschlag identified one other space the place an encounter is extra possible: deeper channels between the shoreline and sandbars farther out.

Avoid areas with fishing

Before you leap within the sea, have a look across the horizon: What do you see? If you see fishing boats, Peirce says “forget it.”

“Whether the fishing activity is commercial or recreational, material will often be being discarded, and unwanted dead fish, fish parts and the action of gutting fish are all putting chum in the water and inviting attention from sharks,” he mentioned.

Before you go in, look ahead to uncommon fish exercise, reminiscent of a complete bunch of small- and medium-sized fish leaping out of the water, Hammerschlag mentioned. That’s a doable signal a shark is likely to be close by.

He additionally suggested to not swim inside roughly 50 yards of the place somebody is fishing from shore.

Avoid nightfall and daybreak

Swimming early within the morning or late at night time could be beautiful, nevertheless it’s additionally the time when a shark attack is almost definitely.

“A lot of shark attacks are cases of mistaken identity,” Peirce says, “due to reduced visibility and identification ability on the behalf of the shark.”

Hang with lifeguards

Chris Lowe, professor in marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, advises to “do your homework” earlier than you go into unfamiliar waters. Bone up a little bit on species you may encounter in other places.

If you could have any questions, ask a native lifeguard. He mentioned they’re a nice useful resource.

“I always recommend people go to guarded beaches. It’s a lot safer,” he mentioned.

Don’t put on shiny objects within the water

“Be careful with jewelry, anything that flashes because sharks are always looking for fish.” Lowe mentioned.

In murky water, a shark might imagine that flash is a signal of a meal. “And you don’t want your hand or foot to get confused with that.”

Follow your instincts

“Probably the most important thing is to follow your gut,” Hammerschlag mentioned. “If you feel wary about getting in the water … just don’t go in the water.”

“A lot of people who have been bitten actually said they had a weird sensation before that, like they had an inner voice telling them to get out of the water and they didn’t listen to it,” he mentioned.

If a shark is close by

Don’t panic

So you are being circled by a shark. The worst factor you are able to do proper now could be panic.

“Don’t start splashing around — you’re just going to excite, incite and encourage the shark’s interest,” mentioned Peirce.

Humans, apes, canines and cats all have paws and palms. If we would like to discover one thing we decide it up and we contact it, we really feel it, we put it to our nostril.

“A shark has got no paws or hands, so if it wants to explore something, the only capability it’s got to do that is to put it in its mouth,” mentioned Peirce.

“That’s why we often get exploratory bites which don’t result in death and sometimes don’t even result in serious injury. If you go swimming and splashing away, you’re almost inviting the shark to come give you an exploratory or an attack bite.”

Maintain eye contact

As the shark swims round you, preserve your head on a swivel and take a look at to preserve eye contact.

“Sharks are ambush predators,” Peirce defined. “If you’re turning around and facing it the whole time while it circles you, it’s not going to be half as comfortable as if it’s able to sneak up from behind.”

Hammerschlag concurred, saying you need to posture your physique towards the shark so it is aware of you see it and also you’re following it. Then slowly again up towards your exit to a boat or shore.

If you are browsing, monitor the shark along with your board, Lowe mentioned. “Let the shark know it’s being watched.”

Marine biologists and shark divers Adriana Fragola and Kayleigh Grant present how that eye contact methodology works with tiger sharks. In a viral TikTok video (see prime of story), the shark is seen as Fragola splashes away, capturing its consideration. She turns round, faces the approaching shark, stays nonetheless within the water and gently deflects the shark away along with her hand.

“You’re definitely never going to outswim or outrun a shark if it were actually chasing you,” Fragola says within the video.

Stay large or get small

This is the place it will get sophisticated. If a shark is clearly in attack mode, you want to make your self as large as doable within the water, in accordance to Peirce.

“The bigger you are in the water, the more respect you’ll get,” he mentioned.

But if the shark appears to merely be passing by means of, Peirce’s recommendation is to roll up into a ball.

“If a shark sees you as a competitor for its food source, that can be one reason it attacks you,” he defined.

“If I didn’t want to be seen by a great white shark as a competitor — and if it wasn’t showing massive interest in me — I would actually curl up so he shows even less interest in me.”

If you are being attacked

Don’t play lifeless

This is not a bear, it is a shark. If you end up in an aggressive encounter, give it hell: punch, kick and poke at delicate spots — however watch out the place you goal.

“There’s all this talk about punching a shark in the nose. That’s OK, but remember that just underneath the nose is a mouth,” mentioned Peirce.

“This is a moving object in the water and you’re not staying still either, so what you don’t want to do is end up effectively punching at the mouth or anywhere near it.”

A superb shot to the gills may do the job: “The gills are very sensitive — giving a shark a whack in the gills isn’t a bad idea.”

Are you carrying something with you? If so, flip it into a weapon.

“If you’re a diver with an underwater camera, use it, if you’re a snorkeler, rip off your snorkel and use it to poke the shark,” Peirce says.

“I’ve had a lot of sharks come at me, and it’s (been) enough to use a shark billy — a small metal rod between two and three feet long — and I’ve just given them a little nudge on their nose.”

It’s a good concept to swim with different folks, Lowe mentioned. Not solely does that lower the possibilities of an attack, he mentioned, however you’ve got acquired somebody to help you to a boat or shore in case you are bitten.

Cut off the angles

If you are a diver and also you run into hassle, strive to get into a place the place the shark cannot get behind you, says Peirce.

“Keep your back to something like a coral reef. Then you’ve only got one direction to look. You’re protected from behind, for example, and that enables you to keep the shark in sight in front of you and maybe swim to the top of the reef slowly to where your boat is.”

Slowly again away

Displace the least quantity of water doable. Try not to thrash and splash round as you step by step swim backwards towards shore.

“You must try and keep the animal in sight and very slowly and gently try and swim backwards and get into shallow water. Again, you’ve got to be careful — large sharks can attack in very shallow depths.”

Doing the above might assist to a diploma, however Peirce says the chance of escaping with out damage when a large shark assaults is slim.

“If a white shark is in full attack mode, there’s not much you’re going to be able to do at that point,” he says.