Highlighted by the fatal attack at Snapper in early September on a 46-year-old male surfer, there have been 51 shark attacks so far this year. A sharp object is a good way to inflict enough pain to scare away the shark. "Don't start splashing around -- you're just going to excite, incite and encourage the shark's interest," says Peirce. Fight with your fists, elbows, knees, and feet. What happens if I lose sight of the shark? Avoid splashing, kicking, or thrashing about in panic, as this may encourage the shark to attack. If you have a fishing spear, oar, or another hard object, don't hesitate to use it. When sharks attack, get out of the water, fast! Peirce recommends avoiding estuaries, particularly where there are bull sharks -- which, along with great whites and tiger sharks, are the most likely to attack humans. Do not play dead as an aggressive shark will go for you. Shark Attack: Survival Guide. If a shark attacks, fight back. If the cheetah pounces on … This means that you should also avoid areas with fishing boats, as discarded fish fluids (blood, guts, etc) will attract them to the area. Screaming at the shark will have absolutely no effect, except perhaps annoying and angering the shark. If you are bleeding, avoid going in the water. Peirce also says women who are menstruating should stay on the beach -- and that people who cut themselves while swimming should get out of the water. With Charles Duhigg How To Listen on Apple Podcasts. "You must try and keep the animal in sight and very slowly and gently try and swim backwards and get into shallow water. Sharks have surprisingly rough and sharp skin, unlike the smooth scales of other fish, so be aware of this. If you see fishing boats, Peirce says "forget it. You need adequate oxygen to effectively defend against an attack in order to make a quick getaway and retreat to safety. If you have been bitten and if you are bleeding after the bite, try and keep that area out of the water. If you are standing between the shark and the open ocean, move away. The shark won't notice the difference. Do not turn your back on the shark as you move. After Jaws was released in 1979, white sharks (what people in the film referred to as great whites) took the stage as the most feared sharks, and for good reason. SURVIVE. Additionally, use pepper spray or a knife to attack the cheetah. Another suggestion is to attack its eyes or gills because these are the most painful spots for a shark. Do not swim away from shark at any situation. Do not be too scared of sharks. Failing that, become the toughest kid on the block by standing up to the fierce creature with a signature move known to throw sharks off kilter. Join us on a 12-month journey to see them all. Swimming will alert the shark because they have a sensor along their body that detects panicked movement. If you stay calm, the shark may be uninterested. Remember to breathe as you fight. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. X. This article has been viewed 1,183,472 times. If a very large predator, say a great white shark or grizzly bear, attacks you in full predatory mode, then it makes no difference what you do. Generally, most sharks' reaction times aren't so fast they can see you swinging and open their mouths first, but if they're already coming at you with an open mouth and you can't avoid them, try aiming with the other hand. If you have accidentally wandered into shark-infested waters, however, you need to have a plan in place. If a boat is nearby, call out calmly, but loudly, for them to come to you. Kick and punch outwards from the circle. Stay as still as possible while waiting, as long as the shark is not actively attacking you; and get into the boat as quickly as possible, once the boat reaches you. Sharks can smell and taste even the … If you go swimming and splashing away, you're almost inviting the shark to come give you an exploratory or an attack bite.". Use any inanimate object, such as a. Share Link. This isn't a bear, it's a shark. Of course, the best way to not get hurt by sharks is to avoid a shark attack in the first place. They will attack and your chances of survival will be limited. Do not take your eyes off the shark. If you're a diver and you run into trouble, try to get into a position where the shark can't get behind you, says Peirce. "Sharks are ambush predators," Peirce explains. Do you get back in the water if you're not attacked, after a shark attack has happened? If you find yourself in an aggressive encounter, give it hell: punch, kick and poke at sensitive spots -- but be careful where you aim. As the article says, sometimes sharks will swim away for awhile, but they will come back, so you can use that time to try and get to a safe area on land or a boat. We could say that by staying away from active fishing grounds, river mouths, and … The shark moves much faster than you. If you are diving near the shore, you may need to descend to find cover. The unfortunate reality of a shark attack is that if one does decide you … Never play dead around a shark. To create this article, 234 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. The bad news is shark attacks are steadily on the rise. Sometimes they swim right up and charge, sometimes they circle for a while before lunging, and sometimes they sneak up from behind for a surprise attack. Try instead to get away from the shark - but don't ever lose sight of the creature during an attack. If there is a shark swimming calmly nearby, do not attempt to attack; more often than not, they mean you no harm. Absolutely. Shark scales are very rough and can cut flesh quite easily. We are the ones invading their territory - doing that to any species, or even fellow humans, is always risky. To create this article, 234 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Start swimming to safety while keeping an eye out around you for the shark. ... To survive a cheetah attack, wave your hands in the air to make yourself look as big as possible, and yell at the cheetah in order to scare it off. Tips for Surviving a Shark Attack. "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. Do not thrash your arms or kick or splash while you swim. It's unlikely to happen but should you come face to face with a great white demon of the deep, you'll want to be prepared. Staying out of shark habitats is the surest way to avoid getting hurt. A shark's gills are the equivalent to a humans lungs. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. But David did make it, and soon he learned that surviving the shark wasn’t the hardest part—it was what … Will it do anything? A shark approached surfer Mick Fanning at a tournament in South Africa on Sunday. What's behind increase in shark attacks off the Carolinas. It is erratic movement, such as swimming, that is a bad idea. To be able to defend against the shark, you must know where it is, so make every effort to watch the animal, even as you are working … Normally, they are not trying to hurt you. By using our site, you agree to our. If … For one thing, sharks are the apex predators of the oceans - they help keep other marine life in healthy balance and regulate the oceans. This will only make them mistake you for free prey. Can a shark strike a specific target more than once? Remember not to make any sudden movements. Protect Yourself from Dogs While Walking. Look for a reef or rock on the bottom of the ocean. Shark attack stats. "I've had a lot of sharks come at me, and it's (been) enough to use a shark billy -- a small metal rod between two and three feet long -- and I've just given them a little nudge on their nose.". Do not wear bright jewelry or watches. Why don't we just get rid of all sharks so that we don't have to worry about attacks? How to survive a shark attack: What to do if you encounter the creature, and how likely it is in the first place. If you truly want to survive a shark attack, instead of taking an adventure to an Australian beach you might be better off exploring the streets of Dudley. If you can put your back to something, like a coral reef, do so. If the shark retreats, move slowly and calmly towards the nearest safe area, but do not make any sudden movements and do not turn your back on the shark as you are swimming. "That's why we often get exploratory bites which don't result in death and sometimes don't even result in serious injury. Always remember: Sharks can smell blood and urine for a distance of several miles. Here are a few things to do, and not do, if a shark attacks you or is about to attack you. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/shark-attack-how-to-survive/index.html References. You can fight, scream, beg, play dead. When it comes to shark attacks and shark incidents, the news out there is grim right now. Last Updated: August 23, 2020 Again, you've got to be careful -- large sharks can attack in very shallow depths.". Swimming early in the morning or late at night can be lovely, but it's also the time when a shark attack is most likely. ", A good shot to the gills can also do the job: "The gills are very sensitive -- giving a shark a whack in the gills isn't a bad idea.". Keep calmly swimming to shore or to anything near you that you could rest on, without being in the water, and then call for help. Sure, we could talk about the statistically infinitesimal chance that you’re going to get attacked by a shark (about 1 in 11.5 million), and that the vast majority of shark attacks are non-fatal, and that sharks don’t actually want to eat people, they just get confused sometimes. Which means the sharks are still there. What Could You Do To Survive A Shark Attack? Sharks have an extraordinary sense of smell and can detect a drop of blood in several hundred million parts of water, according to Peirce. This article has been viewed 1,183,472 times. "So when you've hooked a fish before you've landed it on the boat, the whole time it's struggling in the water it's likely to be emitting fluids, leaking blood and acids ... all the signals that would attract a shark. SHARK ATTACK SURVIVAL TIPS. [1] X Research source Sharks have several different attack methods. Never get on top of a shark. What is their greatest weak point: eyes, nose, or gills? Remember, it is important to keep the shark in view. If you see fish continuously jumping out of the water, it probably means there is a predator around, which may be a shark. ! If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Zero to 60: King of the … wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. Once you regain your composure, here’s what else Peirce says you can do: Stay facing the shark and maintain eye contact. Another suggestion is to attack its eyes or gills because these are the most painful spots for a shark. And that’s how you survive a shark attack. Always be aware of the shark. You're unlikely to run into the kind of shark that attacks humans unprovoked -- bull sharks, tiger sharks, and. If you are free swimming (no wet-suit or gloves) do not attempt to grab a shark fin or back, (grey areas) these spots can cut you or rub your skin off, causing you to bleed and most likely triggering a sharks blood lust. To learn more about how to get in a defensive position to prepare for the attack, keep reading! If we want to explore something we pick it up and we touch it, we feel it, we put it to our nose. Hitting the shark on the snout has helped many people survive. Sharks tend to thrash prey around and to tear chunks out of their prey, so if the person bitten essentially "hugs" the shark (latching onto it), they sharply reduce the risk of having large quantities of skin or limbs altogether ripped off of their body. With the climate getting warmer, sharks are starting to head farther north due to warmer waters. Of these attacks, 17 were in Australia and 23 were from the USA. 1 /1 How to survive a shark attack. What do you do if the shark's mouth opens when you are planning to strike the eyes or gills? To improve your chances of surviving a shark attack, we spoke with George Burgess, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research and manager of the International Shark Attack File. A shark might take a bite and then decide that they … Survive a Shark Attack. HOW TO SURVIVE A SHARK ATTACK. "If you're a diver with an underwater camera, use it, if you're a snorkeler, rip off your snorkel and use it to poke the shark," Peirce says. If you have a spear gun or pole, use it! Why should I punch or hit the Sharks gills? If you spot a shark and it hasn’t spotted you, you can still swim away quickly and quietly without splashing water and get to safety. How would it help to stay still? Move slowly toward the shore or a boat; choose whichever is closest. How To Survive a Shark Attack How To! Advertisement. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. Floating as if you were dead in the water is not a good idea either - the shark may still do a "trial bite" to determine whether or not you're food. Sharks usually hunt at drop-offs or near banks. The International Shark Attack File gives the following advice: Avoid being in the water from sunset to sunrise. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Step 4: Fight back If the worst happens … Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. David was in the ocean in Hawaii when the unthinkable happened—a shark attacked him and bit off his leg. You can also kick it in the chest as it approaches you to throw it backwards. • If you're bleeding, including menstruating, stay on the beach. Even if it is unlikely it will occur, you should always be alert in case it happens. I can’t imagine that nobody fought back in the other cases, so this is another area where the data isn’t definitive. In Australia, 6 of them were fatal. Swim in, take a bite while thrashing its head side to side, and swim off to swallow. There are over 500 species of sharks. If you have nothing around you, use your own body. Do not give up. Although you may get a few small bites from fighting back, these tactics will increase your … If Your Arm is Attacked, Keep It Over Your Head. Although shark attacks are rare, a bite from these powerful sea creatures can be deadly. How to Survive a Shark Attack. ", This is where it gets complicated. Stay out of shark infested waters. Doing the above may help to a degree, but Peirce says the likelihood of escaping an attack from a big shark without injury is slim. Swim around and repeat. Less than 10% of the incidents report fighting back. "This is a moving object in the water and you're not staying still either, so what you don't want to do is end up effectively punching at the mouth or anywhere near it. So no, until the relevant authorities declare that it is safe, you do not get back in the water, even if you weren't attacked. Scientists do not believe sharks attack humans to eat us; rather, they bite into our flesh because they are curious to find out what kind of animal we are; kind of like how dogs like to sniff new friends, only a lot more deadly. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/6f\/Survive-a-Shark-Attack-Step-2.jpeg\/v4-460px-Survive-a-Shark-Attack-Step-2.jpeg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/6f\/Survive-a-Shark-Attack-Step-2.jpeg\/aid42848-v4-728px-Survive-a-Shark-Attack-Step-2.jpeg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"