I’ve been attacked by 3 sharks - a Tiger, who wanted the net full of fish we’ve been collecting for our marine biology Honours project on the GBR; a Great White in South Africa when I stuck my GoPro too close to its face; and a 7-Gill on a night dive in Fiordland after we accidentally disturbed its sleep.
Every time it was our/my fault by intruding on the sharks’ habitat or space, and every time we managed to avoid any serious harm by giving the shark what it wanted - the fish, its space, or its peace to sleep undisturbed. I still love and respect the hell out of sharks, and feel blessed whenever one chooses to share their space with me underwater.
Wow, that is harrowing! I'm glad you came out the other side relatively intact 😅 Your experience is similar to what a lot of surfers who have been attacked say: that it was a case of mistaken identity and it won't stop them from continuing to enjoy the ocean.
Before the hammerhead dive, the guides went over safety in case bull sharks or tiger sharks crashed the party and it was pretty much what you said, keep an eye on their location, stand your ground, avoid any small prey it may want to eat, if they come in your space use the PVC staves we had to redirect them.
There is an island in the Maldives called Fuvahmluah that sees tiger sharks year round and there are many operators on the island that take divers to see tiger sharks daily. They have never had an attack in many decades of existing. Here is a safety page from one of the bigger operations: https://www.pelagicdiversfuvahmulah.com/fuvahmulah-tiger-shark-safety-dives/
Yeah I spent years research diving in some of the most dangerous waters in the world - including doing my PhD in remote Papua New Guinea diving in mine tailings over a 2km drop-off in an active cauldera. Was surrounded by sharks and saltwater crocs there and never had a problem! These 3 attacks are just because I’ve spent so much time in shark waters, and did some stuff that could cause misunderstandings 😊 Never the shark’s fault! Most people who love and/or work with the ocean love and respect sharks.
I’ve been attacked by 3 sharks - a Tiger, who wanted the net full of fish we’ve been collecting for our marine biology Honours project on the GBR; a Great White in South Africa when I stuck my GoPro too close to its face; and a 7-Gill on a night dive in Fiordland after we accidentally disturbed its sleep.
Every time it was our/my fault by intruding on the sharks’ habitat or space, and every time we managed to avoid any serious harm by giving the shark what it wanted - the fish, its space, or its peace to sleep undisturbed. I still love and respect the hell out of sharks, and feel blessed whenever one chooses to share their space with me underwater.
Wow, that is harrowing! I'm glad you came out the other side relatively intact 😅 Your experience is similar to what a lot of surfers who have been attacked say: that it was a case of mistaken identity and it won't stop them from continuing to enjoy the ocean.
Before the hammerhead dive, the guides went over safety in case bull sharks or tiger sharks crashed the party and it was pretty much what you said, keep an eye on their location, stand your ground, avoid any small prey it may want to eat, if they come in your space use the PVC staves we had to redirect them.
There is an island in the Maldives called Fuvahmluah that sees tiger sharks year round and there are many operators on the island that take divers to see tiger sharks daily. They have never had an attack in many decades of existing. Here is a safety page from one of the bigger operations: https://www.pelagicdiversfuvahmulah.com/fuvahmulah-tiger-shark-safety-dives/
Yeah I spent years research diving in some of the most dangerous waters in the world - including doing my PhD in remote Papua New Guinea diving in mine tailings over a 2km drop-off in an active cauldera. Was surrounded by sharks and saltwater crocs there and never had a problem! These 3 attacks are just because I’ve spent so much time in shark waters, and did some stuff that could cause misunderstandings 😊 Never the shark’s fault! Most people who love and/or work with the ocean love and respect sharks.
Cool article. Sharks are fascinating creaturs but I had no idea there were so many species.
There are tons!! I hadn't heard of several of the species we dove with, like "silky" sharks