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#51878
 Death by Shark Attack - Your chances of dying from a shark while scuba diving
Greg - 2/27/2013 1:49 PM
Category: Health & Safety
Replies: 11
According to the statistics gathered by the Florida Museum of Natural History, you have an 81% chance of surviving if you are attacked by a shark while scuba diving.

"The majority of shark attacks on divers are not fatal. This does not mean that divers should be less careful in the water, but it does support the idea that sharks are not hunting humans for food. Fatal attacks are usually the result of significant blood loss and stress. One theory suggests that sharks will bite their prey to make sure it is edible before eating it. Once this ’prey’ item is identified as an unnatural source of food, the shark will swim away to find more suitable food elsewhere."


There have been 215 unprovoked shark attacks on divers between 1820 - 2011, of which 40 (19%) were fatal. Compared to 2569 unprovoked shark attacks over all between 1580 - 2012, of which 484 (19%) were fatal.


I’d rather be under the water with the sharks, so I can look them in the eye. Rather than on top of the water, where they can’t see me and I can’t see them.


DO NOT FEAR SHARKS, THEY DO NOT LIKE THE TASTE OF HUMANS.
#4846
Eve - 2/27/2013 5:10 PM
Is it true that you should punch them in the nose to release the bite?
#21121
LatitudeAdjustment - 2/27/2013 7:52 PM
From Eve: Is it true that you should punch them in the nose to release the bite?...


I don’t think punching this big girl would have made a difference but sharks protect their eyes so that’s where you might hurt them.
#2086
zielit - 2/28/2013 7:28 AM
"DO NOT FEAR SHARKS, THEY DO NOT LIKE THE TASTE OF HUMANS."

Too bad they do not remember that and they have to "taste" you first everytime to find that out.


By the way Greg, why we cannot quote the main post?
#51878
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Greg - 2/28/2013 8:47 AM
From zielit: "DO NOT FEAR SHARKS, THEY DO NOT LIKE THE TASTE OF HUMANS." Too bad they do not remember that and they have to "taste" you first everytime to find that out. By the way Greg, why we cannot quote the main post?...
Because quoting the main post would be silly :) Every reply to the forum topic is a reply to the main post.
#51878
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Greg - 2/28/2013 8:49 AM
From LatitudeAdjustment: I don’t think punching this big girl would have made a difference but sharks protect their eyes so that’s where you might hurt them.[/p...
I agree with Latitude...if a shark had a hold of me, I would go for the eyes, gills, nose...anything I could get a hold of. Just to try an freak it out enough to force it to let go. It’s survival of the fittest/smartest at that point. No rules, just pure survival.
#189
ReconShark - 2/28/2013 10:31 AM
Are you kidding me ! Less than 3,000 attacks in 200+ years ?
#2086
zielit - 2/28/2013 11:17 AM
From Greg: Because quoting the main post would be silly :) Every reply to the forum topic is a reply to the main post.
Well, but maybe quoting particular sentence or part of the post (or reply) would be a nice feature. At least most forums have that feature.
#375
pb1969 - 2/28/2013 12:28 PM
Thanks Greg for this post, it can’t be said often enough...DO NOT FEAR SHARKS...i dived often with sharks and i ve never seen an aggressive one, only curious and if they become to curious it helps to wave your hand to tease his gills with a gush of water...it allways helps...sharks are wonderfull creatures and i would bet everything i own...without food in the water its nearly impossible for a diver to made a shark bite him...for swimmers or surfers, who might be taken for a seal, i think there is a potential threat...but even this is nearly impossible.
#535
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Scubagal_godive - 3/06/2013 9:08 AM
I never had a stare down with a shark. I did pull my knife once on a monster Barracuda. If she was going to pursue the issue, I was not going down without a fight.
#51878
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Greg - 4/01/2013 10:11 AM
You are also more likely to die sitting under a palm tree than by shark attack.

http://paradise.docastaway.com/falling-coconut-deaths/
#2638
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John_giu - 2/27/2014 10:19 AM
Better odds then surviving a subway ride in Philly!