Avoiding Shark Attacks

The extract below is from the 10-page feature article Understanding & Avoiding Shark Attacks in the May AHOY Sailing News, which was written by Dr. Richard Chesher, who is a specialist in coral reef ecosystems and has cruised aboard his own boats since 1959 from Florida and the Caribbean to Panama and many of the tropical Pacific Islands. His research was featured in National Geographic, the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Skin Diver, Ocean Magazine, and many other journals and newspapers.

Lazily, I submerge and drift down to Freddy. Together, we soar through a big cave and emerge outside the reef in 20 meters of water. Carl, John and Chris are clumped together at the foot of the wall of coral. They look at us and gesture franticly the sign for shark and point all around themselves. Freddy and I roll, exchanging positions so she is between me and the coral wall. We scan the deep as we roll but don't see anything.

The men's bodies reflect their fear. The sea is clear, but sharks are hard to see when they are in mid-water. Their bodies are twotoned greyish blue, the lighter belly colour is in the shadow of the shark's own body and thus appears to be the same hue as the top of the shark - deep ocean watercolour. This is called obliterative countershading. On the seaward side of the reef, the bottom drops off rapidly. The sharks, if they are still around, could be lurking close in the vast blue cavern, and we would never see them. But I feel they have gone, and both Freddy and I are relaxed as we turn to face the men. It isn't actually a lack of respect for sharks. It's a kind of acceptance of them.

The three men continue their signs of agitation, backed against the coral wall, blasting out clouds of air I give them the OK sign, and they hastily retreat back towards the boat Freddy and I follow along, holding hands. "Jesus CHRIST!" John explodes as soon as we clamber back aboard Moira, "There were these three BIG sharks down there. They were getting aggressive, darting in at us, and it was bloody scary."

"Yes, it was interesting the way they took off when the two of you arrived in those zebra-striped suits." Carl smiles as he dries off and puts on his thick glasses. "They may look funny, but they do seem to work. I must look into getting one of those. Of course, Walter Starck has been saying they work for some time, but it's the first practical demonstration I've seen " "You're right," John's long face looks surprised. "They left just before Rick and Freddy showed up. All three of them turned and swam away fast. I'll be damned."