Are you a swimming lover and looking for ways how to swim with sharks? If you have no idea what and how to choose, this article can help you with tips for swimming with sharks.
We are once again brought back to our fascination with sharks when the Discovery Channel launches its annual Shark Week programming. Sharks are apex predators with the destructive power of a table saw.
Why is it appealing? Shark expert and former Australian Navy clearance diver Paul de Gelder claim that it is simply human nature to obsess over sharks and their capacity to subjugate us in open seas.
According to de Gelder, “it’s dread of the unknown.” The fear is of being eaten alive by an animal you can’t see approaching.
De Gelder is the ideal person to offer insight into our fascination with sharks. He was struck by a bull shark in 2009, which resulted in the loss of his right arm and right leg in part.
De Gelder has turned into a shark champion rather than harboring resentment. He adds, “I never put the shark to blame. “The shark was just swimming around in the water like a shark does,”
Strikes like the one that de Gelder experienced are extremely uncommon. Only 129 assaults were reported in 2020, according to the International Shark Attack File kept by the Florida Museum.
Of those, 57 involved unprovoked attacks or incidents in which a shark attacked a live human being in its native environment without being provoked by a human.
Sharks frequently use these attacks as test bites to determine whether something might make a good dinner (in many instances).
De Gelder offers some advice that could increase your chances of surviving in the highly remote event that you meet face-to-face with a shark.
Swimming with Sharks the Ultimate Adventure
Swimming with sharks must be on your goal list if you want to get your heart racing. Who doesn’t enjoy Discovery Channel’s Shark Week? Sharks must be safeguarded because they are a vital component of the ocean’s ecosystem. Shark swimming is only for the courageous. When one of Earth’s most majestic creatures circles around you, there are a few things to bear in mind.
Is Swimming with Sharks Risky?
Sharks typically maintain their distance when scuba divers are present. Therefore, shark attacks are less frequent than you might assume. Those who are curious may become hostile, but how you react matters.
What Should You Do if a Shark Approaches You?
It can be unexpected to encounter a shark up close. However, if one swims in your direction, carefully move towards the nearest boat or the shore. When swimming, try to avoid flailing your arms, kicking, or striking. Never turn your back on a shark or obstruct its way. If you adhere to our advice, you will be able to swim securely next to your finned friends.
How to Swim with Sharks? List of 10 Tips For Swimming With Sharks
Below are the tips suggested by experts to keep in mind during swimming with sharks.
1. Don’t panic around a shark
Instinct will urge you to flee right away if you’re in the water and a shark shows up out of nowhere. Defy the impulse. When you see an attacker, you want to flee as quickly as you can, according to de Gelder.
You’re then much more likely to get attacked, though. A shark will become aggressive if you start to panic. Remember: You are not immediately on the menu just because a shark is nearby.
“Nine out of ten individuals who participate in swims with sharks will state, ‘I didn’t feel threatened. I had no sense that the shark intended to bite me. Just interested, that is. cling to that. It’ll help you stay cool.
2. Make eye contact if you see a shark
Your natural inclination may be to move as quickly as you can away from the shark when you spot it, but doing so might signal to the shark that you are prey and should be pursued.
Your objective is to alert a shark that you are also a hunter when you see one in the water. To do this, you must, “Cunningham says, “The only thing that actively tracks animals in the ocean is a predator.
Please acknowledge the shark by making eye contact. You establish yourself as a hunter by being conscious of and confident in making eye contact with the sharks.”
While maintaining eye contact is essential to positioning yourself as a hunter, avoid becoming overly fixated.
If there is one shark, there might be more, says Cunningham. So, after making the first eye contact, scan the area for other predators. Once more, the trick is to make it clear to the shark or sharks that you are not their target.
3. If a shark attacks, fight back
In the unfortunate event that a shark decides you might be sustenance, you won’t have much of a say in the situation.
Even a demonstration bite, in which the shark gives you a curious nibble, can result in severe harm.
Furthermore, if it’s a full-bore assault, you’re in big danger. De Gelder describes his assault by saying, “I felt pressure when the shark grabbed me.”
“However, I didn’t feel the molars inserted. Up until it began shaking and tearing me apart, I didn’t feel any pain.
Even so, taking action is preferable to doing nothing. Go “wild,” punching and attacking the shark in any way you can, suggests De Gelder.
Good targets include the gills, snouts, and eyes. He declares, “Anything that demonstrates the shark you won’t take it.”
“Perhaps you’ll escape,” Even better is keeping a firearm nearby. Use a knife and shoot for the shark’s gills or underside; avoid trying to stab the top. He claims, “You won’t be able to infiltrate it.
4. If a shark has bitten your arm, keep it over your head
Swim as quickly as you can to the shore or protection if a shark happens to lose interest. Keep your arm elevated above your heart if you have a wound on it.
According to de Gelder, keeping it above your heart will stop the hemorrhaging. De Gelder had the foresight to elevate his arm after the shark that attacked him took his hand, which may have helped him survive.
5. Whatever you do, try not to look at the wound
Sharks are unbeatable by humans, and the injuries they cause can be fatal. De Gelder took care to avoid looking at his badly broken leg. He explains, “I believed that if I didn’t stare at the wound, I wouldn’t go into shock.”
“It’s similar to when a young child slashes his finger. He waits until he witnesses blood before crying. I was aware that my limb was not right, but I wasn’t sure what it was. It could be horrifying, I understood. I didn’t concentrate on it.
6. Research local shark patterns
Some shark species move closer to the shore at specific periods of the year to give birth in the warm coastal waters.
According to Cunningham, tiger sharks give birth close to the shore in Hawaii, for instance, in the late summer and early autumn.
Even though this trend “varies by species and location, it can be useful to know your local shark patterns so you can pick your in-water activities carefully,” she adds.
7. Bring a mask and fins on long swims
Every time you enter the water, you don’t have to put on a mask and fins, but if you’re planning a lengthy swim and are concerned a shark might approach, it might be a good idea to pack the appropriate equipment.
Both of these tools, according to Cunningham, “enable you to be more conscious of your surroundings, which is key to being safe in the ocean.”
8. Leave the white bikini at home
Whether you like it or not, the color of your clothing and equipment counts when it comes to sharks.
“Sharks have a monochromatic vision, so when swimming or diving, it’s a good idea to stay away from colors that might stick out more strongly in a blue ocean, such as white, yellow, and/or neon. . “Cunningham elucidates.
9. Note the shark’s body language
Sharks can be possessive or competitive, but they are not always ‘aggressive,’ according to Cunningham.
“Before any physical conflict, sharks will communicate with one another through body language.
When you see a shark holding its mouth open or dropping its pectoral fins (like when a cat arches its back), carefully back away to give it room before leaving the water.”
10. Remember that sharks swim by and ignore people all the time
The majority of people believe that if there is a shark in the water, they would be aware of it, but according to Cunningham, sharks frequently swim by and ignore humans, just like any other fish.
Drone footage has revealed sharks near humans who were unaware of their company over the years. Sharks are typically just scouting out the area.
Conclusion
There are many resources on the One Ocean Diving website if you want to advance your knowledge of sharks, including co-founder Ocean Ramsey’s book “What You Should Know About Sharks” and her online course “Guide to Sharks and Safety,” which offers in-depth details on behavior and safety in the water.
FAQs For Swimming With Sharks
There are a lot of questions that come to mind while choosing swimming with sharks, some of the commonly asked questions are answered below.
Q.1 Is it safe to swim with sharks?
Thus, is shark diving risky? Well, sharks are incredible and strong animals, thus the answer is no. Although being carnivorous, sharks do not like scuba divers or even people as their prey. Although they do happen, shark attacks on humans are quite rare.
Q.2 Is Swimming with Sharks based on a true story?
Robertson claims, “I couldn’t even believe it was genuine,” but he declines to identify the real-life businessman on whom the story is based. “Swimming With Sharks” sold but was repeatedly thrown into turnaround as she was refining the concept. When Robertson’s phone rang in 2019, she had all but given up.
Q.3 What to do if a shark is chasing you?
Slowly back away
As you slowly swim back towards the shore, try to avoid splashing about and thrashing. “You must keep the animal in sight while swimming backward gently and slowly to get into shallow water. Once more, use caution since big sharks can attack at extremely shallow depths.
Q.4 What color is best to avoid shark attacks?
Divers and swimmers can possibly lower their risk of coming into contact with a shark by refraining from wearing swimwear or diving gear that is extremely bright or contrasting. During diving, we personally favour using dark blue or black fins, masks, tanks, and wetsuits.
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