Deep Dark Water - Shark Attack StoriesIts Not Safe.               Shark Attack Chronicles.

Say you’re on a family vacation, enjoying the beach house, the sand, the food, volleyball, and play in the ocean. Actually, you’re pretty set on riding the high waves in on a surfboard or body board. How can you increase your peace-of-mind when nothing separates you from the jaws of a shark but chance ?

While the chances of a shark attack are extremely low, there’s still that chance… You can either put it out of your head entirely, or attempt to lessen the chance even further!

Here’s the top 10 ways to keep Jaws from eating you for dinner:

10) Do not tease or corner a shark ( seems pretty obvious, right? .. Apparently this happens ? )

9) Swim in groups and pay attention to your companions ( In case a shark gets one ?! )

8) Do not carry tethered dead or injured fish ( again, seems obvious )

7) Do not swim with domestic animals in waters known for sharks ( So don’t bring your dachshund in the water with you at New Smyrna Beach, FL )

6) Avoid drop-offs, mouths of rivers after heavy rains, deep channels, and sanitation waste outlets ( gross )

5) Stay away from fishers and fishing boats ( think: bait fish and blood )

4) Avoid large groups of fish, seals, and sea lions ( you would be swimming with the shark’s food menu )

3) Do not wear shiny jewelry or high-contrast swim wear. ( Sharks may see shiny stuff as fish scales and may be generally attracted to your circa 1984 fluorescent yellow LA Gear short shorts )

2) Do not bleed in the water ( including menstruating ). Sharks can smell and taste a single drop of blood up to a MILE away, often tracing it back to the source!

And the number one way to avoid a shark attack ?

1) Avoid shark infested water, particularly at dusk and at night

Date: Unknown
Location: Marina State Park near Monterrey California
Shark: Leopard Shark

A news helicopter had a unique view of a very dangerous scenario unfolding before them. Every wondered how many sharks might just be around you while you’re wading or swimming in the ocean, even near to the shore ?

Suddenly surrounded by leopard sharks in Marina State Park near Monterrey, California, this woman is startled and immediately makes a break for the shore. Can you imagine ?

She seems to play it pretty cool, though, as she exits the water.

Date: June 21, 2008 9 AM
Location: West Cove Catalina Island Southern California
Shark: 15 Foot Great White

It was a family day the Pereira family would never forget! Bettina, her husband Andrew, and their three children took a fishing boat to the West Cove of Catalina Island on June 21st, 2008.

Betty decided to take a kayak out around that part of the cove. She was in 50 feet deep water, which quickly dropped off to nearly 500 feet beyond her starting location. Suddenly she felt what seemed like a boat slam into the back of her kayak!

Looking around, she turned and saw the huge body of a shark coming up fast from underneath her kayak. The force of the shark’s next impact threw her and the kayak into the air, Bettina landing directly on the sharks back, feet first. She pushed off of the shark’s body and started racing towards the family’s boat.

Later Bettina said that all she could think about as she headed for the boat was that her family was going to watch her get killed by a shark. She was eventually picked up by another boat in the area whose crew had witnessed the event. They said she was in giddy with a certain euphoria over still being alive.

Sources: sharkattacksurvivors.com, lionofjudah

Returning the Favor ?

One of the worst things about a fatal shark attack is the how the helpless victim must feel. A life has been needlessly taken away in a random act by a nearly mindless killer. But can we really get revenge?

Really, how do you avenge a shark attack ? And what’s the point ? And your first task is nearly impossible — finding your shark. Sharks are known for traveling great distances, sometimes over 40 miles in a day. The chances that you’ll find the killer in the same area are extremely poor. Fishing for the culprit is extremely unlikely to be effective.

The movie Jaws characterizes a shark with a personality. A hunting machine gone slightly haywire, this fictional shark is bent towards seeking out human flesh as its prey. It seems as if this film has framed the real sharks as killers with attitudes.

Humans are generally attacked by mistake or out of curiosity. In fact, a shark that attacks a human is unlikely to do it again. Maybe we just don’t taste very well! Who really thinks that we should go out and hunt down a shark after it attacks someone? To me, that borders on absurdity.