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smell brings them in from miles around.
Scuba equipment is often used for the divers, but snorkel and
goggles can be just as effective for the viewers in the cages. Great
White spotting centres are located in the colder waters of the
Southern Ocean off Cape Town. An example is the centre at Dyer’s
Island, which has been chosen because of its large population of
Fur Seals.
These sharks are iconic, but very few people have the insight that
such proximity can bring. They are tremendously powerful but little
understood, and the cage viewings are designed to inform as well
as inspire awe. Photographers should also keep their cameras
handy, as the South African sharks are famous for flinging their
whole bodies out of the surf as they hunt for their prey. The sight
of a Great White arching above the surface of the water is one of
nature’s greatest spectacles.
Scubadiving inSouthAfricacangenerateverydifferent experiences.
Swimming with a Great White might get the pulse racing, but it is no
surprise that statistically you are more likely to die from poor diving
technique or faulty equipment then through death-by-shark.
In fact, on average only 60 shark attacks are reported worldwide
each year, of these, only a handful are fatalities. Ninety people
die every year diving. While this appears to be a small number
compared with the numbers diving, it pays to be informed.
National Geographic has published the definitive
guide reproduced below on how to avoid getting
involved in a shark attack.
How to avoid an attack
• If you’re bleeding, stay on the beach. Sharks can smell and taste
even the smallest amount of blood from over a mile (1.6 kilometers)
away and trace it back to its source.
• If you cut or injure yourself in the water, get out! Do not stay in the
water with blood around you.
• Stay away from dead animals in the water.
• Stay out of the water at dawn, dusk, and night, when some
species of sharks may move inshore to feed on fish. Sharks are
well equipped to locate prey even when visibility is poor.
• Avoid murky waters, harbour entrances, channels, and steep
drop-offs. These areas are frequented by sharks.
• Do not wear high-contrast clothing (orange and yellow are said to
be risky colours) or shiny jewelry (which may appear to be like fish
scales). Sharks see contrast very well.
• Leave the water quickly and calmly if a shark is sighted. Do not
provoke, harass, or entice a shark, even a small one.
• Swim, surf, or dive with other people. Sharks most often attack
individuals.
• If you are diving and are approached by a shark, stay as still as
possible. If you are carrying fish or other catches, release the catch
and quietly leave the area.
What to do if you’re attacked
• If attack is imminent, defend yourself with whatever weapons you
can, advises the ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research. “Avoid
using your [bare] hands or feet if you can avoid it; if not, concentrate
your blows against the shark’s delicate eyes or gills.” A shark’s
snout is also said to be sensitive.
• If a shark actually gets you in its mouth, says ISAF’s George
Burgess, “I advise to be as aggressively defensive as you are able.
‘Playing dead’ does not work.”
• If bitten, try to stop the bleeding. Leave the water as efficiently,
calmly, and swiftly as possible. While many sharks will not bite
again, you cannot rule out a second attack.
• Get immediate medical attention, no matter how small the injury.
How to help a victim
• Remove the victim from the water as soon as possible.
• Even before you leave the water, begin controlling bleeding by
pressing on pressure points or by applying tourniquets.
• Protect the victim from cold by wrapping him or her in a blanket
to minimize heat loss.
• Once out of the water try not to move the victim unnecessarily.
Call for medical help.
Get certified:
Find out what your national accreditation body requires
in terms of hours needed and types of instruction.
Buddy Up:
Having friends about minimises the chance of things
turning ugly.
Get Fit:
Diving, like much else in life, is considerably less risky if
you have good lungs and some body strength.
Breathe in.
Then out. Repeat. Don’t hold your breath. Get an even
flow of oxygen into your lungs.
Rise to the top slowly:
Ascend to the surface slowly, thus avoiding the bends
.
Check your equipment:
Every time.
Scuba Diving Safety Rules