SHARKS!!

Do they really wait for us to get in the water so they can eat us.

To understand the sharks behaviour you need to try to see the world through his eyes, understand what his everyday life consists of, the things he likes to eat and why.

Firstly the shark is an apex predator, he is at the top of his tree, and unless he meets a shark considerably bigger the he/she is it is unlikely that he has anything to worry about. (except us of course) Sharks have no problem eating other smaller sharks, it is common for young sharks to use a nursery of calm and protected water to raise there young until they are large enough and wise enough to move to the sea.

Some sharks like the Nurse shark feed on lobsters, these sharks are one of the few who can stop swimming and rest on the bottom, they also don't have the classic sharp pointed shark teeth, more like a grinding tooth for breaking through the lobster shell. Most others need to swim day and night to ensure water runs through there gills all the time or they will drown.

If we look at a common shark such as the reef shark, as there name suggest they can be found near some reefs, most are shy and will retreat as soon as the divers enter the water, some in more isolated areas which may not have seen divers before may stay within sight of the divers and observe us just as we observe them. Some may associate divers who spear fish as an easy meal ticket and almost follow them round waiting for them to spear the shark an easy meal. Some dive shops organise shark feeding trips where you can watch a diver in protective clothing feeding the sharks. Many dive professionals, including myself feel this an unwise practice. Sharks were not meant to interact with humans in this way. It affects there natural feeding habits and also draws an unnatural amount of sharks together for the free feed. Sharks can be unpredictable in this crowded environment and aroused state and I would recommend avoiding this activity.

Because the regular food for the shark is mostly fish they have to be in prime condition to catch and eat these fish, if they see an opportunity to catch a slow fish, or one that has been injured then they will. The signals an injured fish give off is like ringing the dinner bell for a shark. It is therefore these signal that should be avoided by divers and swimmers as when sharks get exited they are more likely to make a mistake.

As muscles move they give off tiny electrical impulses, sharks over millions of years have learned to use these signals to find food. When muscles move rapidly, such as when a fish is injured or hooked on a fishing line the sharks sense these and are guided right to the source.

On a sailing trip in the Bahamas we were catching Mahi Mahi, a sport fish that tastes great, however when you have one on the hook you need to pull it in as fast as possible because all the thrashing about on the end of the line will attract any sharks in the area. See pics below

4ft Mahi Mahi caught in the Bahamas

This fish was originally little bigger the the previous one.

The shark would have found the fish easily because of the thrashing about on the end of the fishing line, he would deliver a bite to the tail end of the fish to immobilize it, then return to eat the rest at his leisure. In this case we had 1/2 the fish each, the shark did however get the best fillets, although a little rare for my liking.

The second sense they use is smell, the can pick out tiny drop of blood in the water and follow its path to the source, again they are preferring to hunt food that is already injured if possible. It makes their life that much easier.

When observing sharks who are relaxed they swim slowly, if there is no food on offer then there is no point in wasting energy. If a shark senses the may be a meal available by the presence of struggling muscle movement or blood then he will go from cruising mode to hunting mode. The speed they swim may be faster and the body actions will be faster and more jerky with exaggerated head movements and changing direction faster.

A sharks normal food is much smaller the us, a shark cannot afford to be injured by attacking something unfamiliar that may fight back as injury may lead to starvation.

If a shark sees something unfamiliar it thinks it may be able to eat, it will not rush in. It will take it's time and investigate, normally circling closer and closer, until it is sure it is safe, then it may will bump or brush past the object to see what happens, it may repeat this bumping many times before deciding to try a test bite. You would have had plenty of time to leave the water if a shark taking this much interest in you.

Many supposed shark attacks are mistaken identify, here are some tips on places that may put you more at risk.

Sharks are active feeding at dawn and dusk when light is poor, stay out of the water at these times.

Surfing in area where a sharks normal diet consists of seals, when lying on a surf board you look like a seal.

Areas with very murky water.

Avoid swimming in the sea if you have an open cut, get out of the water if you cut yourself.

Don't spear fish if there are sharks in the area.

Don't excessively splash whilst in the sea.

Annually there are only about 15 fatal shark attacks every year.

Approx 150 are killed or seriously injured by falling coconuts. So is it more dangerous walking on the beach.

Three types of shark are responsible for most of the incidents worldwide - Great White, Tiger shark, Bull shark, these are three of the largest and more inquisitive type of shark. Bull sharks in particular are capable of traveling long distances up rivers into fresh water areas where they encounter more people in the water.

In all it is very unlikely that most people will ever see a shark in the wild, they will see an hear you and be gone long before you see them.

If you do see a shark that you are bothered by or one that is behaving erratically, maintain eye contact if you can, slowly swim to an area you can leave the water. Do not panic as this will give off the same signals as if you are injured.

Remember, the shark is not a mindless killing machine who try's to eat people, he is a careful predator who will never say no to any easy meal. We do not look, smell or taste like their normal food. We are generally much larger than there normal food. Apart for showing some curiosity in us they are unlikely to approach closely or bother us unless we excite them by imitating struggling or bleeding fish.

Thousands of sharks are killed each year, many for just there fins to make shark fin soup in asia. These sharks are generally tossed back into the water still alive where they will drown as they are unable to swim properly.

PADI is active in education and conservation for our marine life as well as reef systems. After completing the open water course you can further your knowledge and education by completing specialist courses in your area of interest.