How to avoid one
June 20, 2004
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While any shark is potentially dangerous to humans, some species are more aggressive
than others. None are more fearsome than the great white. This eating machine
can exceed 20 ft in length and 2 tons in weight. It is quite rare,
but the great white is responsible for more recorded attacks than any other species. Most of
those have occurred off California in the so-called Red Triangle, which extends
from Monterey Bay to San Francisco to the Farallon Islands, 35 kms offshore.
Jaws, the movie, painted great whites as mindless eating machines. But in fact
the great white is a skillful hunter; their attacks are very controlled, as is
their feeding behavior. The white shark is a stealthy predator that eats with
both ritual and purpose.
If a shark attack happens, it is not done deliberately. This is another misconception
spread by Jaws. People don’t taste right, which is why, after taking a first
bite, a great white will usually turn up its nose at whatever remains. The
mistake is probably made because of mistaken identity on the shark’s part
thinking that the swimmer is a turtle or seal. Many of the injuries inflicted on humans by sharks have been minor, and it is
probably incorrect to conclude that every incident is the result of a shark
trying to eat its victim. Many sharks, especially the great white, the tiger and the bull
are aggressive species. They are equipped with razor sharp teeth and wide mouths
and are capable of causing considerable damage with little effort. Many superficial
injuries are probably the result of a shark investigating an intruder in its
surroundings - much like the way you might squeeze a loaf of bread to see if it
fresh. These big bites are giving you a squeeze.
A short checklist to avoid even the smallest chance of a confrontation
1. Avoid swimming with an open wound as sharks can detect blood and other body fluids
2. Don’t swim at dawn, dusk or at night when sharks are most active
3. Avoid swimming in the vicinity of flooding rivers
4. Don’t swim alone (let them eat ya mates first)
5. When visiting an unfamiliar area, seek local advice
6. Be cautious, many individuals who have been attacked have and a sense of foreboding
before entering the water.
If you see a shark while on your board on the water – leave using slow sure
strokes head to the beach. Don’t try to stand up. Keep trailing limbs out
of the water as much as possible.
If a shark attack does occur, stabilize the victim as soon as possible. Loss of
blood is often a cause of death. To treat for shock, stem the bleeding by compression
and elevation and get them to a hospital.
Extra
How determined can sharks be?
In 1966 at Coledale, 50 km south of Sydney, Australia, a 13-year old boy, Ray
Short, was swimming at a beach resort in the afternoon. He saw something coming
at him and screamed. The shark was a 7.5 ft female great white shark. It
grabbed his leg and started to shake. The boy, in great pain, tried to poke it in
the eye, but that didn’t do any good, so out of desperation Ray bit the shark on
the nose. "Its nose was like hard, old, salty canvas," he later recalled.
The water around Ray was now red with blood. He said afterwards that he could
taste his own blood in the water. A wave broke on the shark and both were
washed onto a sand-bank much closer to the shore. Within seconds, because
of his screaming, other people arrived to help him. His rescuers kept saying,
"It's okay mate, the sharks gone... you’ll be okay now!" But that wasn't altogether true!
The boy kept calling out that the shark still had his leg, but they thought he was
just in shock and concentrated on getting him to shore.
Eventually, one of the rescuers ran his hand down Ray’s leg and found the large
shark still latched on! The thick blood in the water had hidden it from view.
The shark refused to let go and was finally dragged up the beach still attached
to Ray’s leg. They beat the shark with sticks and a surfboard, but it refused to
release its hold. One of the men eventually got a rifle and shot it; only then
did it loosen its grip.
Ray Short lived to tell the tale.
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