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Shark Attack
For the love of all things holy, do not swim with
sharks to see if you can escape.
You have a better chance of being struck by
lightening than being attacked by a shark. Out
of the 344 species of sharks in the world, only 3 are responsible
for most of the attacks on humans: Great Whites, tiger sharks
and bull sharks. Great whites and tiger sharks are more common the
further you venture from shore. Bull sharks, however seem to be
venturing closer to shore and up estuaries even into fresh water
streams that empty into the sea. The reason for this is most likely
due to a depletion of food in the shark's normal hunting grounds
due to the fishing industry.
Shark attacks are either
the result of mistaken identity or a sharks attempt to investigate.
Unfortunately a modest taste from a shark could be enough to kill
a person due to blood loss and shock. If a person is violently attacked,
the shark had most likely mistook them for their natural food source.
Reflective jewelry or clothing can resemble the reflective skin
of fish. Dangling the pale bottoms of your feet or hands in the
water also resembles fish. Lying on a surfboard with your hands
and feet dangling in the water resembles a fat juicy seal. Splashing
in the water can emit vibrations similar to a shark feeding or a
fish in distress. Bull sharks have poor eye-site and are increasingly
common in warm shallow waters. These factors put Bull sharks at
a higher risk for a mistaken identity attack on a person. Sharks
do not actively seek people as a source of food. Even so, sharks
do deserve the utmost respect. Fishing and pollution caused by man
has depleted the shark's source of food, forcing them to investigate
new areas in which to hunt. Unfortunately this may put them in close
proximity to humans. As a result, as the human population has risen
and the seas have been increasingly exploited, shark attacks although
extremely rare have risen in number as well.
Prevention of attack:
In addition to great whites, tigers, and bulls, there are a number
of other sharks that have reportedly attacked people or boats. The
metal and equipment on a boat produces a strong electromagnetic
field around the boat, which can confuse a shark as they are highly
sensitive to these magnetic fields. All sharks do deserve your respect
as they represent the top of the food chain in the sea. Killing
sharks because of recent attacks is senseless violence that rarely
if ever actually kills the individual shark that was involved in
the attack. A more efficient way of reducing shark attacks is by
reducing the exploitation of their environment and by remembering
the following guidelines when swimming:
- Follow posted signs and warnings. If a sign
says no swimming, do not swim.
- Never swim in waters where sharks are common.
Ask local residence if you're unfamiliar with the area.
- Never swim where people are fishing.
- If you are swimming at a populated beach,
stay among the crowd. Safety lies in numbers.
- Avoid swimming near deep channels or where
the water suddenly deepens. Sharks like to stalk these areas where
they are difficult to detect.
- Avoid swimming near a shark's natural
prey. This means avoiding swimming near schools of fish or seals.
- Surfing off the Pacific U.S. coast in suddenly
deep water near seals with a dark rocky sea floor is asking for
a great white to attack you. Great Whites are actually dark brown
to black on top making them virtually invisible against a dark
rocky background. If you're attacked you never see it coming.
- Avoid wearing shiny reflective or brightly
colored jewelry watches or clothing in the water.
- Avoid swimming at dawn, dusk or after dark
when sharks venture closer to shore for feeding.
- Stay out of the water when you are bleeding.
Some sharks can detect one part blood in one billion parts seawater.
Bleeding is an invitation for attack.
- Women should not swim during their menstrual
cycle.
- Do not swim alone.
Treatment:
A shark attack victim is most likely to die from blood loss or shock
so quickness and controlling blood loss is key.
- Immediately yell for someone to "call
911 for a shark attack victim with blood loss" as you run
toward the victim.
- Quickly remove the victim from the water.
- While carrying them to shore, attempts should
be made to control bleeding. Bleeding is normally controlled by
applying pressure to the open cut or to an artery. However, this
may be difficult as you are carrying the victim to shore, so a
tourniquet may be used to help control blood loss.
- Lie the victim on the beach with their head
pointed down the slope to increase blood flow to the brain.
- Make sure someone has called 911 and help
is on the way.
- Wrap the victim in a blanket to control heat
loss.
- Do not feed the victim alcohol or warm drinks,
only sips of fresh water.
- Do not move the victim unless they are in
danger of drowning or until paramedics have arrived and the victim
has recovered from shock. Moving them may increase shock.
- Always continue to control bleeding.
- You may want to take the victims pulse rate
and blood pressure for future reference.
- (Review
First Aid bleeding, cuts and shock.)
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