Shark-human Interaction And Body Language Of Sharks

Whenever we look into the eyes of a beloved dog, cat or other, it is commonly agreed we can read in their eyes. If the same is true for sharks can't be said as of yet but fact is that something also happens when humans and sharks look at each other.

The number of shark bites does not say much except that the absolute numbers are very low compared to other animal groups that are frequently involved in incidents with humans. Here, it will be explained why bite rates are the proper way to interpret bite numbers and how these rates can be influenced.  

All these gadgets out there that claim to repel a shark when it gets closer never take a shark's mind and thinking process into consideration. It is not the run of the mill shark that needs to be targeted but the unruly, bold one who is just a bit too curious. These gadgets have all the same flaw, they have not been tested in potentially dangerous situations. If they would have, we would not be flooded with all these gimmicks that won't work.

No matter how small a wound on a human being is, as long as it has been caused by a shark it is a headline. There are plenty animals out there that cause more injuries, and more fatalities, than sharks do. But it is the shark who unifies most human fears and that seem to matter, independently if the danger is real or not. And when it comes to sharks, the danger is not real...

Just because one dived a few times with a certain shark species does not mean one is able to understand their behavior, even more so if one is of the opinion that sharks are basically instrict driven creatures. Every specimen of a species is an individual with its own toolbox of features, characters and abilities to adapt or react to a situation.

Trying to rescue a person who has been bitten by a shark is not an easy task, even more so should there be no jetski, board or anything else available but to swim out there and retrieve the victim. Following these rules will help, even if the shark is still in close vicinity to the victim.

Many gadgets claim to repel a shark should the animal come too close. What these manufacturers don't tell you is that these gadgets have not been scientifically tested but are solely based on assumptions. So, it should not come as a surprise that most of these gadgets won't do anything, especially not keeping a shark away.

Protecting beaches from sharks lowers incidents but kills sharks in the process. New  technologies are needed to replace the shark nets that are still in use. An overview of ideas is given how to keep beaches safe without having to kill a shark.

Between November 30 and December 5, 2010, five incidents took place along a coastal stretch of only a few kilometers. At least two sharks were involved, an oceanic whitetip shark and a mako shark. A review is given, together with a most likely scenario leading to those incidents of which one ended fatal.  

A brief summary is given on the incident series that took place in a river called Matawan in July of 1916.

For way too long the assumption was upheld that human blood is an attractant for sharks. If that would be the case, we would have seen many more incidents, especially after ship disasters. Likewise human urine is likely nothing that a shark would excite.

The lowering of pectoral fins has different meanings than being a threat display. Here, the two main functions are explained and discussed in the respective scenarios.

We need to change our tunes when it comes to the finning of sharks. Our efforts are not harsh enough to have an impact. We need to rethink how to solve this problem since current approaches won't work. If we want to survive, we have to consider more drastic steps.

When a white shark is not yet able to go after seals, it may start to hone its skills on substitutes, like birds, and turtles. However, a small percentage of surfer incidents also suggest that target practice might have been the motivation for a white shark to approach and bite.

Although it is common knowledge that a shark can be stressed, its normal reaction to defuse the situation it is in with a person is to look for an escape route. Biting is always the last resort. But should indeed a bite occur (without knowing the immediate situation leading to the bite), its wound picture can also resemble a competition bite.

The most common motivation to bite a person is exploration. Sharks don't know what we are, and so on very, very rare occasions grab us. Due to this very careful holding with their jaws, the wounds are mostly superficial as long as the person does not pull his/her arm or leg out of the shark's mouth. Such a reaction always leads to a much worse secondary wound.

Sharks have been described as rather instinct driven animals, ignoring that there is a free will among them. This is especially true when it comes to biting humans and their motivations behind it. "Bump & bite" is one of these early but erroneous description of how sharks bite people.

One of the many erroneous informations about sharks is the so called "sneak attack." A relic from the early days of shark research, where the experts didn't swim with sharks yet in order to understand them since they basically shared the fear of the general public. Due to that their mostly theortical ideas of how bites manifest themselves, was pure nonsense.

One of the common description of an incident with a shark is called "hit and run." As the notion implies the shark leaves the area after its bite, the hit. There is no reason for a shark to back off or even take off. In this episode I highlight some of the reasons why "hit and run" is incorrect.

Although rare, it can happen that a shark fights over the victim with a rescuer. During such a scenario the victim is part of an actual tug o' war scenario where it  is simultaneously pulled in two direction: towards the rescuer and towards the shark. In most cases a "claim response" incident is fatal.