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i've always wondered this and nobody can ever answer me. I'm afraid to go into the water at the beach if its that time of the month because i dont want to get attacked! will they smell it and attack?

2007-12-27 08:36:11 · 7 answers · asked by 23 1 in Science & Mathematics Zoology

7 answers

I suppose it's theoretically possible, but since there doesn't seem to be any practical correlation there, I wouldn't worry. Seems to me that there are other, much greater factors in shark attacks: "injury" noise in the water, for instance - arrhythmic splashing in a situation where the shark can't see well (like the surf); or where the shark sees something that looks like a normal prey item and takes a 'test' bite (many Great White attacks seem to be this sort). Anyway, considering how many people go in the water each year, and how many of those people are women, surely by now if menstruation was a contributing factor it would have shown up somewhere in the data even considering how very few shark attacks there actually are.

2007-12-27 08:51:56 · answer #1 · answered by John R 7 · 2 0

Circulating blood and hemolytic blood are not the same thing. Many blood cells in the menses are lysed or ruptured so their chemical composition is altered from that of whole blood cells. Further, and I believe of greater importance, fish eurythrocytes are not the same as human due to the differing demands of oxygen and nutrient delivery. Their differing chemical composition will make them distinct to the sharp acuity of a shark's sense of smell.

Research has been done to show sharks are in fact not attracted to 'dead' or hemolytic blood and other factors associated with menses. However the study used nonhuman blood and only one species of shark.
'Behavioral responses of bonnethead sharks (sphyrna tiburo) to controlled olfactory stimulation.' Mar.Behav. Physiol., 11:283-91, by Johnsen, PB., and J.H. Teeter. 1985
http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/ecology/biblio-bonnethead.htm

In 'Women in Scuba' Dr Jacalyn Robert of Texas Tech University in the Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation said "There is no evidence of increased shark interest in a menstruating female. The hemolytic blood associated with menses may instead act as a shark deterrent (Edmonds, et al., 1992, p. 65)." However I do not know the source of her opinion.
This site offers a review of the literature as it relates to diving women and their menses.
http://scuba-doc.com/rskwomdiv.htm
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-22222.html
However if you are using a dry suit then the entire question is moot.

2007-12-27 09:46:48 · answer #2 · answered by gardengallivant 7 · 3 1

you know, that's gross, but a very interesting question. I'm sure they could. I would think, no matter how absorbant whatever you using is, Im sure the scent could be picked up......Maybe it depends on the woman if the shark will have an appetite or not,,,lol. Oh and I don't think a woman can "flo" under water. I heard its impossible. I don't get it, but that came from a nurse, my mother.

2007-12-27 08:46:24 · answer #3 · answered by Jarod C 6 · 1 0

Yes, they will sense it, but:
* most will not enter the surf, and if they do investigate,
* we don't look like what they're used to eating, so
most will pass you up.

Authorities on the subject regard most shark/human
attacks as mistakes on the part of the shark.

2007-12-27 08:49:03 · answer #4 · answered by Irv S 7 · 0 1

That's the same reason reason menstrating women should not go hiking during that time--it attracks hungry bears and cats as well.

2007-12-27 08:44:26 · answer #5 · answered by dk 5 · 0 1

I don't know and I don't want to find out, so I stay out of the water!
;)

2007-12-27 08:40:07 · answer #6 · answered by Muschi 7 · 0 0

LOL, they can smell small drops of blood.

2007-12-27 08:44:36 · answer #7 · answered by James 3 · 0 0

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