[imagesource: Charles Krupa / AP]

Odds are you’re never going to need to know what to do in the event of a shark attack.

Given that it’s Shark Week on Discovery and Discovery+ (until July 30), however, you’re likely going to see all sorts of grim headlines about giant sharks and gory incidents.

Before you panic, consider that cows and bees kill more people every year than sharks do. You’re also more likely to die from falling, fireworks, a ladder, a lawnmower, and lightning than you are from a shark attack.

However, as we tragically learnt from the recent death in Plett, attacks do happen.

According to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File, there were 73 unprovoked shark bites recorded in 2021, with nine of those proving fatal.

Neil Hammerschlag, director of the Shark Research and Conservation Program at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School, is on the money when he tells CNN that when we enter the ocean, we are visitors entering the shark’s home.

You can reduce your chances of encountering a shark by avoiding estuaries and river mouths, as well as deeper channels between the shoreline and sandbars farther out.

Areas with a high presence of fishing boats can also be iffy:

“Whether the fishing activity is commercial or recreational, material will often be being discarded, and unwanted dead fish, fish parts and the action of gutting fish are all putting chum in the water and inviting attention from sharks,” he said.

Shark attacks are most likely early in the morning or at night, so swimming at dusk and dawn can carry extra risk. Shark expert Richard Peirce says many shark attacks are cases of mistaken identity due to “reduced visibility and identification ability on the behalf of the shark”.

If all else fails and you find yourself staring down a shark, the first (and likely most difficult) tip is to remain calm:

“Don’t start splashing around — you’re just going to excite, incite and encourage the shark’s interest,” said Peirce…

“A shark has got no paws or hands, so if it wants to explore something, the only capability it’s got to do that is to put it in its mouth,” said Peirce.

That curiosity can lead to “exploratory bites”.

Then comes maintaining eye contact:

“Sharks are ambush predators,” Peirce explained. “If you’re turning around and facing it the whole time while it circles you, it’s not going to be half as comfortable as if it’s able to sneak up from behind.”

Chris Lowe, professor in marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at California State University, recommends surfers track the shark with their board so it knows it’s being watched.

If you realise the shark is committed and an attack is imminent, Peirce says you should make yourself appear as large as possible. Then, be ready to fight like hell:

…punch, kick and poke at sensitive spots — but be careful where you aim.

“There’s all this talk about punching a shark in the nose. That’s OK, but remember that just underneath the nose is a mouth,” said Peirce.

Aiming for the gills is one option, as is using any implement you may have on you (like a snorkel or camera) to strike out.

If possible, try and manoeuvre yourself so that the shark cannot approach from behind and start to back away gradually, says Peirce:

“You must try and keep the animal in sight and very slowly and gently try and swim backwards and get into shallow water. Again, you’ve got to be careful — large sharks can attack in very shallow depths.”

While improving your potential chances of survival, all of the above tips do come with a stern warning from Peirce:

“If a white shark is in full attack mode, there’s not much you’re going to be able to do at that point,” he says.

That’s what makes the great white predation by Port and Starboard, the two orcas regularly seen off the Western Cape shoreline, all the more remarkable.

Finally, if you’re after some interesting history on why shark attacks are so feared despite the tiny number of incidents (aside from the movie Jaws), here’s a really interesting read on a series of attacks in the US in 1916 by a shark known as the Matawan Man-Eater.

[source:cnn]