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Critters Of The Deep

A common concern by people who are interested in diving but are apprehensive about: CRITTERS OF THE DEEP; especially sharks. I could just say, "Don't worry about it," but most people wouldn't be convinced and would want more details.

Now that I have been diving a few years and try to plan my dives around sites in the ocean that sharks have been sighted, as well as other critters, I really don't take this question as seriously as others do. If I go back to when I first started diving, then it would be more of a concern to me, so I will try to look at it from that perspective.

There are over 330 species of sharks and only seven are aggressive. Some are slow bottom feeders that look more like a pet dog or cat than a man eater. I wouldn't grab or bother any shark or critter for that matter because they might just bite to protect themselves. A defensive action, not aggressive.

Of the seven aggressive sharks, it has been found or suspected they don't like the taste of humans anyway. Most shark attacks have been on a swimmer or surfer. One bite and then the shark has disappeared. Sharks attack upward. A swimmer or surfer splashing on the surface is MORE likely to be attacked by a shark because the person is sending out a "vibration" of something hurt, or a surfer on his board is probably mistaken for a seal or sea lion, a favorite food of sharks. This question about dangerous water critters is asked by sunbathers who don't give it a moments thought about jumping in the ocean and splashing around. The air bubbles a diver exhales aren't particularly liked by under water critters, either.

A person is more likely to be struck by lightening than attacked by a shark. Of the millions and millions of people that go into the ocean each year, only about 100 are attacked by a shark, and some of them because they bothered the shark in the first place. The biggest worry a diver has is to watch his or her air supply. The critters in the water are the least of a divers worries.



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lynn@mermaidscuba.com