Ask a Shark Expert
Read shark researcher Mark Marks' responses on the following shark topics:
Disappearing sharks
Shark evolution
Shark deterrent?
Nonstop swimmers?
Shark posturing
Swimming with the sharks?
Shark diving
Shark education
Shark enemies
Shark reproduction
Great white disposition
Favorite shark
Shark eyes
Shark companions
Bite pressure
Bladderless sharks
Warmblooded killers
Hammerheads
Thresher sharks
Great whites in captivity
Shark protection
Q: On Detering A Shark
Dear Mark,
Is there any possible way to deter a shark when you fear you may be attacked?
I just knew that someone would eventually ask this question. Well, the truth is that there's no absolute correct answer to this question. Each encounter between human and shark is different and dependent on a great many variables, including the person's activity, environmental conditions and the individual shark's state of being — i.e., is it hungry, combative or merely just curious (often the case)? One of the key words you used is fear. When an animal becomes frightened, especially a mammal, a cocktail of natural chemicals is produced within its body. This scented form of communication is often an unmistakable cue to many animals (especially those predators with a highly evolved sense of smell), and may trigger the shark, in this case, to investigate closer. Most species of shark rarely become aggressive when unprovoked. Roughly about 100 shark bites on humans are reported globally each year; of these approximately 30 percent are fatal, usually due to lack of proper medical attention on scene. If one considers the fact that each day literally millions of people engage in all kinds of marine-related activities, the chances of such an encounter occurring are so remote that actually that actually spending time worrying about it isn't worth the stress. However, if one finds oneself in just such an encounter, the best thing to do is try and remain calm (I know this may sound kind of lame, but it isn't!) and leave the immediate area. If the shark rushes you, try to fend it off by striking (preferably with some object other than your own body parts) at its snout, eyes and gills, where the highest concentration of sensory pores called the ampullae of Lorenzini are located. Unless the shark makes a concerted attempt to attack, I would suggest not striking the shark first. Remember, often a shark will approach as it investigates an object; by striking first you may in fact cause the animal to become combative. In general, if you behave, they'll behave.
