There are fewer shark attacks reported than you might imagine, despite the vast number of people swimming in the sea at any one time, attack numbers are fairly low. World-wide media sensationalism of anything to do with sharks is usually aimed at making a shock horror headline about the great savage animals below the worlds waters. There's no doubt that the brilliant film Jaws, apart from being so well directed that, one might scream openly in the cinema, did raise the profile of dangerous sharks. This being in the first decade of true world-wide coverage by international journalism meant any stories on the subject were quickly brought to everyone's attention. Even though shark attacks have happened since man got in their water. At the same time, hunting for shark became a more acceptable sport, as if to avenge prior attacks. In an era of people starting to be brought up on T.V. it wasn't long before most of us were "conditioned" to believe that swimming in waters of warmer climates posed a high risk of losing body parts to some rough skinned predator of the deep. I for one whilst snorkelling in 3-5m of water in the Med' would look out into the deep and turn back. However, since taking up diving using SCUBA I feel safer in the water. Funnily enough, I feel safer 25m below the surface where I can see all around me than I do being on the surface where there is a vast expanse of water around me, not knowing what may brush my leg..............

When considering any increase in attacks in a particular area, one should take into account any physical changes in that area. That is, numbers of people in the water, numbers of sharks in the area, availability of the sharks natural food resource and a more recently noted topic, the amount of chumming in the area.

Here's a list of the top 7 sharks in order of those which attack the most.

(Information from the International Shark Attack File held at Florida University.)

• Great White (Carcharodon carcharias)
• Tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier)
• Bull (Carcharhinus leucas)
• Sandtiger (Carcharias taurus)
• Hammerhead (Sphyrna spp.)
• Lemon (Negaprion brevirostris)
• Blacktip Reef (Carcharhinus melanopterus)

Something that most people (including me) never think about is that sharks will attack in various ways. Depending of course on the type of shark, the location and the prey. Most attacks occur in shallow coastal waters, this is obviously because this is where the highest concentration of swimmers and surfers are. It's statistically difficult to calculate whether the risk from shark attacks on humans has anything to do with water temperature, simply because we humans only tend to enter the water in great numbers when it's warm enough. Hence attacks on humans are more likely in warmer climates.

If you're going to be attacked by a shark, try and go for the method of "Hit and Run", this is when a shark will make a quick grab and then "run" for it without returning. You want know it's coming either. This is the most common type of attack and will be the one usually experienced by surfers and swimmers off a beach.

Next is the classic scenario that nightmares are made of. A shark will circle it's prey, then bump it to "test" it, the chances are pretty high that a pretty savage attack will follow which is likely to result in severe or fatal injuries.

Sneak attacks are next on the list, a swift attack from below, usually as a feeding attack which may mean multiple bites.

Why attack humans?

As I've written on the home page, you can't blame sharks for their attacks, much the same way that you can't blame a lion for attacking you in the open plain of the African/Asian continent. There are a few theories in place but the most common between the defenders of these great fish is that of mistaken identity. Whilst this is a common theory, having read information on the Internet and other literature, another more believable theory is that sharks are curious, hence the different types of attack. if you're considered to be dinner then the attack is most likely to be a sneak or bump attack where multiple bites are not uncommon and death is likely. Otherwise, a curious attack will be a single bite and run where the shark is testing for a possible meal. Remember, survival is the single driving force behind the daily life of most wild creatures, whether a dangerous shark or a freshwater minnow.

Take a look at causes of attacks.

info@killersharks.co.uk

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