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How To Avoid a Shark Attack
There were 72 unprovoked shark attacks around the world last year, with three people killed in Australia and South Africa.
According to the International Shark Attack File, which gathers statistics on interactions between the mammals and humans,the number of worldwide unprovoked shark attacks has grown at a steady pace since 1900, with each decade having more attacks than the previous.
However, despite the worrying statistics, only a minority of sharks are any danger to humans, with Great White, Bull and Tiger sharks accounting for the vast majority of attacks.
Thirteen-year-old Elio Canestri, who was attacked and killed while surfing off the coast of Reunion a week ago, was killed by an eight-foot bull shark.
The young teen was reported to be surfing in an area deemed out of bounds by officials due to the high risk of sharks.
Reunion has recorded seven fatal shark attacks in the past five years, more per capita than anywhere else in the world.
The International Shark Attack File reports that there were 52 shark attacks in US waters in 2014, compared to 29 in 2015.
B005L9TM4AAustralia’s 11 attacks was lower than its 12.5 attacks per year average over the past ten years (2004-2013) and the two fatalities were in line with its 1.5 yearly average over the same time period.
So are there any simple precautions that can be taken to avoid a shark attack? And what should you do if you come into contact with one?
Don’t look like a fish
Even if you think you’re in a safe area of water, a rogue shark attack can never be ruled out.
Experts warn swimmers not to wear any jewellery or items that reflect the light. As far as sharks are concerned, that flash of light could easily be the sun reflecting off fish scales.
This is particularly important if swimming in choppy and unclear conditions which can make it harder for a shark to distinguish between swimmers and prey.
Even brightly coloured clothing can cause trouble, as sharks see in black and white and use contrast to distinguish colour, meaning they will pick up the difference between skin and a bright swimsuit. The same can be said for sunburn, causing colour differentiation on skin.
Equally, surfers can easily be confused for seals. Lounging on a surfboard in a wetsuit can give the outline of a seal from a shark’s point of view. While this is hard to avoid, try surfing in a group and stay alert to your surroundings at all times.
Source: http://www.alternativenewswebsites.com/how-to-avoid-a-shark-attack
