Fight with your fists, elbows, knees, and feet. If a shark is clearly in attack mode, you need to make yourself as big as possible in the water, according to Peirce: "The bigger you are in the water, the more respect you'll get.". Do not give up. If you have accidentally wandered into shark-infested waters, however, you need to have a plan in place. Start swimming to safety while keeping an eye out around you for the shark. Hitting the shark on the snout has helped many people survive. If you have a fishing spear, oar, or another hard object, don't hesitate to use it. Do not block the shark's path. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Shark Attack: Survival Guide. "There's all this talk about punching a shark in the nose. If going for a swim in the ocean, bring others along as you are always safer in a group, and bring a diving knife. What if I scream at the shark? It's unlikely to happen but should you come face to face with a great white demon of the deep, you'll want to be prepared. If you're a diver and you run into trouble, try to get into a position where the shark can't get behind you, says Peirce. Floating as if you were dead in the water is not a good idea either - the shark may still do a "trial bite" to determine whether or not you're food. Although you may get a few small bites from fighting back, these tactics will increase your … How to survive a shark attack. The best way to defend yourself against a shark is to punch its nose. Sharks still hunt during the day. Often a shark will mistake you for prey, leaving you with injuries after realising his mistake. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/shark-attack-how-to-survive/index.html Even just a single bite by a large white shark like this can cause death by blood loss. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Stay calm. 1 /1 How to survive a shark attack. If you see fish continuously jumping out of the water, it probably means there is a predator around, which may be a shark. How to. Instructions Step 1: Stay calm Try to stay calm. "So when you've hooked a fish before you've landed it on the boat, the whole time it's struggling in the water it's likely to be emitting fluids, leaking blood and acids ... all the signals that would attract a shark. Humans, apes, dogs and cats all have paws and hands. That's okay, but remember that just underneath the nose is a mouth," says Peirce. Stay out of shark infested waters. Try to wear dark clothes if you are going under water. Remember that humans kill approximately 100 million sharks a year, while unprovoked shark attacks killed just five people in 2017. Do not be too scared of sharks. Sharks are flexible and they can turn their head and easily attack. "An awful lot of attacks occur in river mouths, where there is silt and other material in suspension in the river -- people washing their clothes, people washing themselves," says Peirce, who has spent time in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, where Fanning's encounter occurred Sunday. Another suggestion is to attack its eyes or gills because these are the most painful spots for a shark. Do not thrash your arms or kick or splash while you swim. • If you're bleeding, including menstruating, stay on the beach. To create this article, 234 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Do not wear bright jewelry or watches. Stay as still as possible while waiting, as long as the shark is not actively attacking you; and get into the boat as quickly as possible, once the boat reaches you. "A lot of shark attacks are cases of mistaken identity," Peirce says, "due to reduced visibility and identification ability on the behalf of the shark.". "I've had a lot of sharks come at me, and it's (been) enough to use a shark billy -- a small metal rod between two and three feet long -- and I've just given them a little nudge on their nose.". Of these attacks, 17 were in Australia and 23 were from the USA. If the shark thinks I am dead, it will attack anyway, won't it? There's a perfect beach for every week of the year. If you have nothing around you, use your own body. The unfortunate reality of a shark attack is that if one does decide you … Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,183,472 times. Body language is more important to a shark. They won't be able to breathe properly if you damage them there. Once you regain your composure, here’s what else Peirce says you can do: Stay facing the shark and maintain eye contact. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. To learn more about how to get in a defensive position to prepare for the attack, keep reading! We are the ones invading their territory - doing that to any species, or even fellow humans, is always risky. In fact, this is the normal way they eat. Peirce also says women who are menstruating should stay on the beach -- and that people who cut themselves while swimming should get out of the water. Share Link. Though nose and gills are sensitive, they are most protective of their eyes. How to survive a shark attack: What to do if you encounter the creature, and how likely it is in the first place. Once free If there was a shark attack a week ago or a day ago, do not go into the water, until the lifeguard tells you that it is okay to do so. You are safer near cover and underwater with good sight then you are going up to the surface and losing sight of the creature. If you can, use a sharp or heavy object to hit the shark, such as a spear, rock, or even a camera, but if not, you can use your fists, elbows, knees, or feet. The shark will simply attempt to swallow its catch. Sharks have surprisingly rough and sharp skin, unlike the smooth scales of other fish, so be aware of this. What Could You Do To Survive A Shark Attack? If a very large predator, say a great white shark or grizzly bear, attacks you in full predatory mode, then it makes no difference what you do. Highlighted by the fatal attack at Snapper in early September on a 46-year-old male surfer, there have been 51 shark attacks so far this year. If the shark is waiting for a time to strike, however, try to wait it out. If the shark manages to grab your arm as you intend to strike, use your other hand to punch the other side. Avoid splashing, kicking, or thrashing about in panic, as this may encourage the shark to attack. If you stay calm, the shark may be uninterested. HOW TO SURVIVE A SHARK ATTACK. "If I didn't want to be seen by a great white shark as a competitor -- and if it wasn't showing massive interest in me -- I would actually curl up so he shows even less interest in me.". Sure, we could talk about the statistically infinitesimal chance that you’re going to get attacked by a shark (about 1 in 11.5 million), and that the vast majority of shark attacks are non-fatal, and that sharks don’t actually want to eat people, they just get confused sometimes. How to Survive a Shark Attack. Remember to breathe as you fight. Sharks can smell and taste even the … This will only make them mistake you for free prey. If you have a fishing spear, oar, or another hard object, don't hesitate to use it. Aim for the head, specifically the eyes or the gills. A shark's gills are the equivalent to a humans lungs. Do not swim away from shark at any situation. When it comes to shark attacks and shark incidents, the news out there is grim right now. Another suggestion is to attack its eyes or gills because these are the most painful spots for a shark. Protect Yourself from Dogs While Walking. If the cheetah pounces on … How to Survive a Shark Attack. For one thing, sharks are the apex predators of the oceans - they help keep other marine life in healthy balance and regulate the oceans. Also, doing this prevents the bitten area from being stuck even more in the shark's mouth, as shark teeth are pointed inward to lock in their prey.. Swim in, take a bite while thrashing its head side to side, and swim off to swallow. If you go swimming and splashing away, you're almost inviting the shark to come give you an exploratory or an attack bite.". Can a shark strike a specific target more than once? This isn't a bear, it's a shark. If you can put your back to something, like a coral reef, do so. "If you're turning around and facing it the whole time while it circles you, it's not going to be half as comfortable as if it's able to sneak up from behind. And if you're sitting on a surfboard in the water all day, you're peeing all day through your wetsuit.". ", It doesn't matter the size of the fishing operation either. Which means the sharks are still there. Knowing how to respond can mean the difference between life and death. If shark fighting is your forte you might want to visit one of these five locations (listed in order of likelihood for a shark attack) North America; Australia; Brazil; It's not the best thing that's ever happened to you, but the worst thing you can do right now is panic. Scientists do not believe sharks attack humans to eat us; rather, they bite into our flesh because they are curious to find out what kind of animal we are; kind of like how dogs like to sniff new friends, only a lot more deadly. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/6f\/Survive-a-Shark-Attack-Step-2.jpeg\/v4-460px-Survive-a-Shark-Attack-Step-2.jpeg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/6f\/Survive-a-Shark-Attack-Step-2.jpeg\/aid42848-v4-728px-Survive-a-Shark-Attack-Step-2.jpeg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"