Scared of Shark Attack? Here's How to Survive It!

Earlier this month, Danny McDaniels and his friend Jon Chambers had an encounter with an enormous great shark while kayaking in Santa Catalina, California. 

According to McDaniels, the shark had sunk its teeth to the back of the kayak but eventually let it go after realizing it is not a food material. The shark has left two big teeth, and the shark is probably between 17–20 feet long, according to Ben Frable, Marine Vertebrates Collection Manager at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California.

White sharks are known to be aggressive. In fact, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, out of 187 sharks incidents in California since 1950, 13 were fatal and were caused by white sharks.

McDaniels and Chambers were probably lucky as none of them were harmed. Chambers even described this experience as a "great shark experience without it being a bad story."

A report from the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), which compiles reported shark attack all around the world, most reported incidents are "unprovoked," meaning a human has no influence on the shark's aggression.

But do not rattle just yet and reconsider your upcoming beach vacation. The likelihood of being attacked by a shark is as low as one in 11.5 million. You even have a higher chance of winning the U.S. Presidential Election, with one in 10 million chance or get struck by lightning, with one in 700,000 chance. 

But for extremely unlucky people, here are what you can do to increase your likelihood of surviving a shark attack, according to shark expert and wildlife author Richard Peirce:

Preventive measures . . .

1. Don't swim in an area with fishing boats.

Peirce claimed that fishing operation—whether commercial or just recreational—often throw discarded materials like rejected fish or fish gut into the ocean. This attracts the shark.

2. Do not swim early in the morning or late at night.

Peirce claimed that most unprovoked attacks are just mistaken identity. The darkness will obscure shark's vision, and its ability to identify, so taking a deep on the ocean during twilight or at night is not advisable.

3. If you have bleeding wounds or are currently on a menstrual period, stay away from the ocean.

Sharks have a heightened sense of smell, especially when it comes to blood. Peirce said that for sharks, blood indicates a source of food.

4. Refrain from taking a dip in the river 

Bull sharks, which is among the three species that attack humans, can live both in freshwater and saltwater. Encountering them on river mouths are not uncommon.

What to do during an attack?

1. Keep your composure.

Moving a lot will entice the curiosity of sharks. And due to the absence of tactile facility like the limbs of humans or paws of dogs and cats, the only way for sharks to explore is through what Peirce called "exploratory bite." 

Exploratory bites can be severe, but it is usually not fatal, unlike attack bites.

Once the shark stilled, retreat quietly.

2. Don't let the shark get out of your vision range.

Sharks tend to attack behind you since it uses an ambush predator tactic. For that, keeping eye contact is encouraged. It is also suggested to get into a position where you can protect your back from the sharks, like besides coral reefs or a sunken ship.

3. Keep your presence low . . . or threaten them through intimidation.

If the shark is not in aggressive mode, Peirce suggested curling up into a ball and wait until it passes through. A provoked attack usually happens when the shark sees you as a competitor for its food source, so by keeping your presence low, it might not happen.

But here is a tricky one: if the shark is on attack mode, Peirce said that the solution is to make yourself big and powerful to intimidate them. The bigger you are, the more respect you get.

4. Know the shark's weak point.

One of the most important lessons of self-defense classes is to aim at the weak point of the attacker. The same goes for sharks.

For Peirce, the best weak point is the gills since it is very sensitive. The nose is also a good option, but you should be careful since it is pretty close to the shark's mouth.

Peirce himself carries a shark billy, a small metal rod that is around two to three feet long. But he said anything you have on hand like an underwater camera or snorkel can be a weapon. Be careful of not wounding them on purpose, as their blood can attract other sharks.