Sharks!??!!? FREAKED!?

Question

Hey I saw this video on youtube that my cousin sent me. It was about a girl in ocean waters and was attacked by a great white shark!!!!! Eeek!!!!! I am really freaked. Now I am scared to go in the waters at the beach. I also bought a new boogeyboard, and I am freaked to use it.
So my question is where would sharks usually attack and hunt for people? Because in the movie Jaws, the banana boat one, the girl was on the boat and they weren't that far from the beach, or were they far out?

Answer 1

To start, do not be worried about it. Hollywood and the media has blown sharks as well as attacks up into something they are not. You hear about attacks on the news and see horrid images in movies and on the web, however they never show you the facts or data behind anything.

Last year, only 4 people were killed due to shark attacks... and yes, that is out of the entire world. On top of that there were less than 100 attacks worldwide as well, and an attack can be anything from a small scratch to death, heck that number even includes a few attacks on boats.

As long as you are smart about when and where you swim you will be fine. That is not to say something will never happen, but if you are smart about things you should be fine.

For example do not swim/board at dawn or dusk. Do not swi/board in areas where there is groups of people fishing or close to dump sites or city/state runnoffs. Do not wear suits that have high contrasting colors or anything that is glittery in the water. Swim in areas where there are groups of people instead of remote off the beaten path areas. If you are in a high shark area make sure you swim in an area that has lots of people, shark nets, patrols, beach rescue and so on and so forth.

Like I said, as long as you are smart about things, you will be fine.


side note: it really scares me how much false info is posted in this question.... sharks are only in warm water: NO... staying in shallow water is ok, most attacks/sharks are in deep water: NO

Answer 2

Do some research on sharks before you let a couple videos freak you out. Watch some Discovery Channel specials (Shark Week starts July 29) instead of a decades-old horror movie. You're more likely to drown than be attacked by a shark - it's true! There are only a few great white attacks every year, and even fewer are fatal.
True, you don't have to go far out to get attacked by a shark, and humans are only attacked because, to the shark's mind, they look their natural prey - only a wounded seal floats on the surface, and a floating person/boogeyboard/surfboard resembles a wounded seal from a distance, so the shark comes up to take a curious nibble.
But it is SO rare and unlikely that this happens. Listen to your local news and read the posted signs at the beach - they will warn you if any sharks have been sighted in the area.

Answer 3

Jaws does not show the true nature of sharks! I repeat, Jaws is not real!
Sure there is always a chance of a shark attack,
But you'd have to be pretty far out to run into a Great White,
White tipped reef sharks have been recorded to be seen in the shallows some times, but not commonly.
They will hunt for anything edible, a person or not it's all the same to a shark. My advise...
Don't believe everything u see in the movies
Don't go into the real deep water
Go swimming in a freshwater lake

Answer 4

Really, if you stay in water where you can stand, you should be fine. Shark attacks are not really all that common, and most sharks who bite humans are actually looking for something else. Usually if they do bite, they'll let go. Not to say that it won't hurt or cause serious damage, but they're not that smart when it comes to distinguishing humans from sea lions or other prey.
I hate to scare you more, but the reality is that at least around Florida waters, sharks are all over the place. If people only knew, they'd be surprised to find out how close they are to sharks when they go in the water. The good news is that even in such close proximity, they leave people alone for the most part. I've been fishing in waters waist-deep by water runoffs where there were smaller 3 or 4 foot sharks swimming around and they leave you alone. Just be smart about it. Don't try to touch them or anything.

They are attracted to blood, so if you're bleeding at all or have any open cuts, keep it out of the water. Also, don't wear bright colors or especially any sparkly jewelry. They're curious animals, so they'll want to come see what it is. they're also attracted to splashing and lot's of movement and vibrations in the water. Another thing to watch is the birds. At the beach, there is always birds flying around, but watch out for any spots where birds are circling and diving. That means there's fish in that area and hungry sharks may be making their way over there.
Bull sharks are the exception though. They are just mean. Any time that there's bull sharks around though, they should close the waters off to the public.
Overall, don't worry about the sharks. I've had more trouble with manatees than with sharks, but that's a different story...

Answer 5

Shark attacks are very rare! They usually make waves (pun intended) with the media because of the media thrives on the morbid, gruesome, and spectacular details of shark attacks.

While I don't know the stats, I can almost be certain that there are far fewer shark-related injuries/fatalities per capita than there are for car accidents.

You may need to think of all the times you've been at the beach... how many people have you seen swimming and surfing in the water. How many of them were gobbled by a shark.

In the end, the only way to approach fear is to face it. Get yourself back in the water. If you need to, stay close to the shore at first, and gradually build up that ability to get out to the waves.

Best wishes!

Answer 6

Sharks don't hunt for people and it totally depends on the type of shark. Great White sharks (Jaws) are going to be found off the west coast of the united states and in colder north eastern united states waters. They're also found often off south africa and australia. Tiger sharks are probably more dangerous and they're found everywhere but high instances in hawaii and australia. Smaller sharks like the bull shark are known for a good number of attacks in the states and they're found often on the east coast in shallow water along sand banks where the whites will attack from the deep. Your chances of a shark attack are almost nil. They don't want to eat you and there's no point being afraid. They'll only take a little taste.

Answer 7

Sharks do not attack humans for the sole purpose of hunger. In fact, sharks do not know what the feeling of hunger is, and in fact, can go for many months without eating. This is not to say that sharks do not attack with the intention of seeking prey. Many attacks on divers and surfers especially can be attained to searching for food. To a shark, a surfer on a surfboard slightly resembles that of a seal or sea lion, or a diver in a black wetsuit can look like other prey.

Sharks also attack humans because they have been provoked or agitated by the person. Many spear-fishers have been attacked by reef sharks because when they spear fish, the blood from the fish and it's vibrations can sometimes result in a feeding frenzy by many sharks. Bright colours can also be counted for attacks. As many people have believed in the past, sharks do in fact can see colours, and do indeed have very good eyesight. Avoid wearing the colours of orange and yellow, as this can aggravate the shark, and possibly lead to attacks.

Sharks are in fact attracted by splashing and vibrations in the water, and it can sometimes be attributed to attacks. Most scientists have not been able to predict why and where sharks attacks.

Answer 8

Sharks won't attack if you go on the California beaches. I am scared of sharks, but I studied sharks and found out that only little sharks are in very shallow waters. Don't be afraid of the shark. I saw this sign and it said that the more panicky you are, the more the shark thinks youre a seal.

Answer 9

First of all.. Jaws is a movie. -_- and second of all.. Sharks don't hunt for people.. they hunt for food. Not necessarily people. And I read somewhere in National Geographics, that they don't have very good seeing skills, but they think we're fish when we move out feet when we're swimming. So if you see a shark, stay absolutely still. 0_0 No kicking your feet because you will get eaten. ^_^ That's only if you're in the deeeeep end. But if you're in shallow, which indeed, they can very well get there, you run for your dear life for land. As predicted. -_- If you have a boogie board, don't be theh least bit scared to use it because boogie boards aren't meant for deep water anyways. Only swim where a lifeguard is because they can see if a shark is nearby even before it gets near theh shore. o.o And then they'll scream "SHHHHARKS!!!" and then everyone will freak. So yeah.. It's a good thing.


^_^

Answer 10

You are more likley to be struck by lightening than attacked by a shark.

The movie "Jaws" took a bunch of unrelated material and wove it all together into a single incident. It had great cinematic appeal, but the story was complete fiction.

Great white sharks attack people by mistake. They typically attack young elephant seals resting on the water's surface between dives. The shark attacks from below, delivers a fatal bite and waits for the victim to bleed to death.

It is no coincidence that many great white attacks also feature surf boards with large sections bitten out of them. The shark saw the board on the surface and it looked very much like the outline of a seal. The surfers arms and legs splashing about made this deception believable enough to attack. However, the shark attacked the board, not the person. Unfortunately, a fish the size of a large car with a mouth full of two inch teeth is going to damage much more than the board.

Great white sharks also happen to occur in areas with perfect surfing condidtions. These are Australia, South Africa and California. Many people who are attacked by great white sharks actually survive. The shark does not return for a second attack when it realizes its prey is not an elephant seal. No great white shark has ever been found to contain human remains.

The other classic shark attack involves spear fishermen ignorant enough to drag a long like of bleeding, thrashing fish behind them. This is equivalent to hainging raw meat all over your body and pranching around in front of starving wolves. A white tip or blue shark is apt to remove a pound of flesh from the diver's calf, but it was after the fish and not necessarily the diver.

Again, no shark actually hunts people. We are not part of their environment, so none of them has evolved any sort of instinct that would provoke the mindless attacks which the movie "Jaws" showcased like so much prime rib in a butcher's window. In a sence, "Jaws" was about as factual as "Jurassic park".

Don't substitute entertainment for information. Learning may be hard, boring work, but it is better to be able to make informed choices than it is to live in fear and ignorance. Besides, ignorant people are the preferred prey of two legged land sharks. These creatures are the real monsters to be afraid of.