How to Avoid a Shark Attack

A rather silly story has appeared in the New York Post, explaining what to do if you are attacked by a shark while scuba diving. It tells of a 'steely-nerved' scuba diver who demonstrates a fool-proof method for defending herself against these man- and woman-eaters, gently fending off a slow approach by a tiger shark by simply redirecting it by pushing it away.

What's not mentioned is that it happens daily at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas and other places, but Hawaiian resident, Kayleigh Grant is using it to promote herself on TikTok. Tiger sharks move ponderously and are inquisitive, but they can be sneaky and creep up on an unsuspecting diver.

However, there are hundreds of shark species, and I think Kayleigh would be out of luck if she tried to do this with an oceanic whitetip, for example.

Sharks make a slow approach but can move with a sudden burst of speed. When in French Polynesia, I failed to see the moment a reef shark bit another diver because it happened in the fraction of a second that the mirror flipped up on my DSLR. I was photographing both him and the sharks. It happened that fast.

Shark expert Dr. Erich Ritter (RIP) was injured by a bull shark, witnessed by television cameras, in a similar attack that happened in a moment.

Kayleigh gives sound advice about not looking like prey in the water, but different species have different feeding habits and are attracted to different prey.

Tigers have catholic tastes when it comes to scavenging carrion, and when their bellies have been cut open, fishermen and scientists have found pots of paint, car tires, coal, unopened cans of salmon, small barrels, nuts and bolts, and boat cushions, according to Alessandro De Maddalena in his book Sharks, the Perfect Predator. So try not to look like any of these items.

I have been grabbed more than once and swum off with by a large tiger while photographing one and not paying attention to a second that sneaked up behind me and had a predilection for my scuba tank. No harm came to me, and I was twice saved by Stuart Cove, who simply pushed the animal off me. You can read about that and other experiences with sharks in my book Shark Bytes.

"What you actually want to do is not splash or turn around, face the animal, and maintain eye contact," Kayleigh, the TikTok influencer, advises, analogizing the technique to what you should do to prevent a bear attack. She explains, "With tiger sharks, you can place your hand on the top of their head, push down gently, and that will redirect them away from you."

To that, Stuart Cove would say, stay away from the sharp part.

- John Bantin