Although there is very little possibility that you will be attacked by a shark, it might be fatal if you are. You need to read this article in order to take action to improve your odds of surviving a highly improbable attack.
Knowing the locations and times of the majority of shark attacks
There are some locations where spotting a shark is more likely.
The ideal places to swim are not near river mouths. Estuaries should be avoided because bull sharks, along with great white and tiger sharks, are drawn to their sometimes murky waters and are the most prone to attack humans. The deeper waterways between the shoreline and the farther-off sandbars are another location where an encounter is more likely to occur.
Look over the horizon before you jump in the water. What do you see? Never dive in if you notice fishing boats. Whether fishing is done for profit or for pleasure, a lot of material is thrown away. Unwanted dead fish, fish pieces, and the act of gutting fish all add chum to the water and attract sharks.
Before you enter the water, keep an eye out for any strange fish behavior, such as a large group of small or medium-sized fish jumping out of the water, which may indicate the presence of a shark.
While swimming in the early morning or late at night might be enjoyable, these times are also when shark attacks are most likely to occur. Also, avoid wearing shiny items in the water. Because sharks are constantly searching for seafood, be cautious around jewelry and anything flashy. A shark can interpret a flash as an indication of a meal in murky water. And you don’t want that to confuse your hand or foot.
If there is a shark nearby
Stay calm
If a shark is circling you, Panic is the worst thing you can do at this moment.
Avoid splashing around because doing so will just pique the shark’s curiosity.
Dogs, cats, humans, and apes all have hands and paws. We take something up, touch it, feel it, and hold it up to our nose to explore it. A shark cannot use its hands or paws to explore; the only option available to it is to place the object in its mouth. Because of this, we frequently experience exploratory bites that do not cause death and occasionally even mild injuries. You virtually want the shark to come give you an exploratory or an assault bite if you go swimming and splash around.
Keep eye contact
Keep your head swiveled while the shark swims around you and make an effort to keep eye contact. The ambush predators are sharks. It won’t be nearly as comfortable circling you if you turn around and face it the entire time as opposed to if it can approach from behind. To let the shark know you are following it and that you can see it, you should adopt a forward-leaning posture. Then carefully climb back up to a boat or the shore, where you can depart. A shark would never be able to outswim or outpace you if it were actively pursuing you.
Stay large or small
This is where things become challenging. Make yourself as huge as you can in the water if a shark is obviously about to attack. In the water, people will respect you more if you are larger. But if the shark appears to be merely passing by, you should curl up into a ball. You won’t be a shark’s rival in this way, reducing the risk of attacks.
In case of an attack
Do not act dead
This is a shark, not a bear. Give it your all if you find yourself in a combative situation; punch, kick, and poke at vulnerable areas, but watch your aim.
There is a lot of discussion surrounding punching a shark in the nose. That’s fine, but keep in mind that the nose also has a mouth. You aren’t standing still and this moving item in the water is, so you don’t want to accidentally punch it in the mouth or anywhere else.
An effective shot to the gills will also work. Giving a shark a slap in the gills isn’t a bad idea because the gills are quite sensitive.
Use any weapon you have on hand. Use your underwater camera if you’re a diver, and rip off your snorkel if you’re a snorkeler so you may poke the shark with it.
Joining a group swim is a smart idea. Not only does that reduce the likelihood of an attack, but you also have someone to help you if you get bit to a boat or shore.
Try to position yourself so that the shark can’t get behind you if you’re a diver and you get into difficulty. Face something, like a coral reef, with your back. Then, there is only one way to look. Because you are shielded from behind, for instance, you may keep the shark in front of you in view and possibly gently swim to the top of the coral where your boat sits.
Swim back gradually
The least amount of water should be moved. As you slowly swim backwards toward shore, try to avoid splashing about and thrashing. You must make an effort to keep the animal in sight while swimming rearward gently and slowly in order to reach shallow water. Again, exercise caution because big sharks can strike at extremely shallow depths.
Even if you take the following precautions, there won’t be much you can do if a white shark is already in full attack mode.