How to overcome a fear of sharks?

[Blondie]

Let me begin with saying, I don't hate sharks.

They're just very intimidating to me. I've lived at the beach almost all my life and I've heard of plenty of shark bites on my beaches through out the years. In the past decade we haven't had many. But as of this spring and summer we've been having our own little "Jaws" on our beaches with bull sharks. Just last month two people were attached. One was just a bite but I know the other one was serious and took about 400 stitches to repair. I personally have a friend that's been bitten before too while surfing.

Now this makes me really worried to go into the water. I know the ocean is the shark's home. And you are the visitor. They're always out there. I've tried so hard to not think about it but every single thing that brushes up against me in the water sends me running out! I've tried going out fairly deepy (About 250 yards off shore) With a group of people on surf boards. And we saw a fairly large fish float up with it's head bit off. So that sent me swimming faster than I had ever swam before. And I've tried snorkeling with sharks in a more controlled environment. I still was trying to swim out of it as fast as I could.

Some people see sharks as beautiful misunderstood creatures, but I just see them as intimidating fish with REALLY big teeth that can hurt you. How can I learn to relax more around sharks or just in the ocean?

[WavyMermaidy]

I totally know what you mean...my town is known as the "shark bite capital"!! We have an inlet into the intracoastal that makes a good surf break, and that's where the interactions mostly occur.

As a kid I never used to be scared of anything in the ocean. Then two events started the fear: getting sucked out in a rip tide when I was 10-ish (and having to be saved by a lifeguard) and getting stung badly by a jellyfish in junior high. It led to not specifically a fear of sharks but a fear of things I can't see underwater. Although I do admit as a kid I would get scared of sharks, but not in the ocean...I imagined them coming out of the grates of swimming pools!!! lol That still scares me...goes along with the dark water/unknown thing.

I just moved permanently to the beach this year, and with this whole delving-into-my-mer-self thing I am determined to come to terms with my fear. In fact, I think keeping the mindset of a mermaid while I'm in the ocean helps a lot. Also, I always wear fins of some kind (either my monofin or 2 fins) now while I'm in the water...makes me feel like I can swim away faster, I guess...and perhaps knowing my feet aren't dangling out there. I also always wear a swim mask so I can see clearly underwater. The other thing that helps has been researching what to do to make a person less likely to attract sharks. You've probably read about some of these things too, but maybe not.

So, most sharks tend to bite on accident. In certain conditions their vision sometimes gets disturbed. Swimming at dawn/dusk or when the water is murky (like when the sand is disturbed from a storm or rip tide) is basically swimming while sharks can't see well. So they rely on their electrical sensing system...therefore, if you are flicking around, splashing rapidly like a distressed fish they might pick up on this. Also, any kind of jewelry or shiny material (say on a bathing suit) can look like the flash of scales. I also have heard that bright or contrasting colors on swim suits can confuse sharks...but again, this would probably be more in conditions where a shark can't see as well in the first place.

Of course, surfing goes along with this b/c paddling hands and dangling feet can sometimes be mistaken. On the west coast, you get that whole "surfers look like seals/sea lions from below" thing. Not having seals in FL, I have heard that surfers look like sea turtles from underneath, but I think it's more the dangling body parts and the location. I think almost all the bites in my town have been at that one surf break, b/c of the location of it by the inlet. Our brackish intracoastal waters are a breeding ground for sharks, especially Bull sharks that have their young in fresher water under mangroves and such. Between the young sharks coming out and the fish in and out of the inlet, it's just a more likely place to get bit. Also, if you do end up swimming in a place with a lot of fish, it just ups the odds.

But with that said, the odds are still so minor that you would ever get bit, even during a higher than average bite season...especially by doing what you can to reduce the odds further. I have yet to ever see a shark while I was swimming, and I have been coming to what is now my hometown for over 20 years. So those are the things that I tell myself every time I go out. You do what you can to be less attractive to and mistaken by sharks, and then you just do it. Yes, accidents happen, bull sharks are notoriously aggressive, etc...but you just kinda have to push those thoughts to a little file cabinet in your mind, at least for a little while.

Even on a clear water day when I remember to take off my rings and feel pretty comfortable, my imagination still kicks in and I imagine coming face to face with a shark or, worse, seeing a shadow glide in front of me. The fear probably won't go away (and of course things like Jaws, Shark Week, etc have not helped things in general in our society) but if you can just push it aside for a while...well, it definitely helps. I also don't swim alone...if my hubby is not out there I do admit I feel more scared. But, like I said, my fear is of what I can't see, so sometimes I'm just as scared of a disembodied hand or a Cthulu-esque tentacle grabbing my leg as I am of sharks ;)

The low likelihood of getting bit, the overwhelming odds against actually dying from getting bit, and the very sobering facts about how many sharks we kill vs how many kill/bite us (read the book "Demon Fish"...it's pretty eye opening) all add up to help me enjoy the water a little more easily. I agree, sharks are scary...they are meant to be as they are top predators!!! But hopefully you can push your fear aside enough to enjoy the beach and the ocean!!!

[halesloveswhales]

On a slightly similar note, I've heard that sharks like shiny things. (Bethany Hamilton believes that the shark that bit her arm was attracted to her watch). Does having a sequin tail make you any more susceptible to a shark attack? I'm sort of afraid to make my tail too shiny for this reason. Can anyone help me out on this?

[malinghi]

The odds of being attacked by a shark are incredibly small. You're 10 times more likely to be hit by lightning.
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/education/questions/attack.html#chance

Maybe you could go to the aquarium to learn more about them? Or I suggest you just spend more time in the water so you realize that you're extremely unlikely to be attacked by a shark.

[New York Mermaid]

I use to fear sharks when i was little, but I was determined to learn as much as I could about the species of sharks which live in my waters, I also learned what needs to be done in cAse of an impending attack of if im"being attacked" (Hit them directly on the head or pull on their gills).. Bull sharks are dangerous yes, but i guess it depends as well, heck Hannah swam with sharks in the bahamas, one attempt to nipped her tail, nothing more.. ypi will be fine, just make sure you dont go into the water really early in the morning or after 6-7pm , the water gets cooler and the sharks are more active at that time.
The chances of being attacked by a shark can be minimized if swimmers stay in groups since sharks are far more likely to attack individual s swimming alone. Swimming too far from shore is dangerous too, as it isolates a lone human target and puts it far away from help. One thing that will greatly reduce the chance of a shark attack is to simply avoid the water at night or in twilight when sharks are most active and are actively hunting for food. Everyone has heard that you should never go into the water if you are bleeding in any way and it is true, shark’s have acute olfactory abilities and will find the source of blood quickly.
Some people think wearing shiny metal items or jewelry that reflects light like fish scales can arouse a sharks’ unwanted curiosity. Others say not to splash around in the water because activities create erratic movements that a shark might interpret as prey. One tip that has proven quite true is to avoid swimming near sandbars or near steep drop-offs, both are known hangouts for sharks.

[WavyMermaidy]

On a slightly similar note, I've heard that sharks like shiny things. (Bethany Hamilton believes that the shark that bit her arm was attracted to her watch). Does having a sequin tail make you any more susceptible to a shark attack? I'm sort of afraid to make my tail too shiny for this reason. Can anyone help me out on this? As myself and others on here have mentioned, your susceptibility to a shark attack is so very small in general. Things that have been noted here like location, time of day, water conditions, etc probably are among the bigger factors. But I would think if you are going to be beach-swimming in a sparkly sequin tail it's not going to make sharks any less likely to take a bite. I personally would be a little more wary and aware of my surroundings if wearing a sparkly, shiny tail at the beach, but that's just me...I'm sure there are plenty of mers who have swum in sparkly, shiny tails at the beach with no shark sightings or issues. So, it's like anything else, just be smart about where/when you swim.

[michellerobison]

I'm usually pretty laid back about swimming in the ocean, try to do it in the middle of the afternoon when it's less likely for sharks to feed. I did see a couple small sharks,about 18 inches swim right by me,really close,one swam right against my feet. I hope I was too big to bite,since it didn't try anything. Freaked my friend out, never saw her move so fast. I was out about waste high. I wonder if it was the sand kicking up that attracted it, it kinda swan around the way my cat circles my feet when I walk...

I had a dolphin wizz by me really fast last year that scared the beejeezus out of me, next thing I saw another one and they were batting a huge fish between them... Kept thinking,glad it didn't hit me...

[Blondie]

Interesting theories everyone! I never thought about the whole sequin tail attracting sharks. I suppose it could. But who knows?

Yeah I'm normally out of the water by 5pm and not in till after 11 am. I'm very good with staying in the water during times where feeding is low. But they're still out there and it can be an unprovoked accident. Likes said before just distorting a sharks vision or something shiny could make one confused. I'm just worried because we just don't have normal sharks at my beaches. It's almost always bull sharks or lemon sharks, which are known to be much more aggressive.

[Kanti]

There are a few safety measures you can take to help you feel safer in the water.
I've been in the ocean a lot and all I ever see are nurse sharks. I think I've only really seen a reef shark
once and even then they usually want nothing to do with you.

Anyway, if you swim with people, swim in clear water, avoid swimming at night, etc. you should be fine

[ivoryleopard]

I heard of the other things mentioned on this thread before but I don't think anyone mentioned blood. Blood attracts them (okay basic shark knowledge 101, yes I know). I heard recently that urine does too. I try to avoid swimming in the ocean when it's that time of the month. I've been around smaller (less than 5 ft) sharks before while swimming at the beach. Also had my butt slapped by a dogfish's tail! In my home state, NC, I'm hesitant about going out any deeper than chest height. Our choppy wavey, rip currenty coastline tends to have aggressive ones like bulls, great whites, etc that frequent there. We do have a lot of sand tigers, dogfish, and scalloped hammers (I find their teeth on shell piles on the surf) but I don't remember hearing that they are aggressive.

I do have selachophobia which is funny because I LOVE sharks ever since I was a kid. I didn't know that this phobia existed until I googled it years ago. it was reassuring when I read that there are other people with it as well (my family likes to make fun of me for having it). Real live sharks don't bother me since they move. I do get uneasy around taxidermy and fiberglass ones. Uncanny valley I guess. Then again there are Doctor Who monsters called The Weeping Angels that move when people are not looking.

[miamiasma]

I see a lot of stuff about shark safety up here, but not too much about fear conquering. Possibly for others they go hand in hand?

I've been aware of sharks and shark safety my whole life, but a little more than 10 years ago I was suddenly very afraid of them. Seeing pictures of sharks, sharks in tanks, sharks from boats, and so on, doesn't bother me. But while I'm in the water I am positively paranoid about them. If I go too long without looking up, down and sideways all around me, I have the sudden urge to freak, because obviously one must be right behind me, chillin', maybe making funny faces. *shrug* I dunno what sharks do when I'm not looking...

Despite all that knowledge, I still have what I like to call an "unreasonable fear of sharks." (Phobia? I guess... not gonna self-diagnose though. XD) The thing that makes me most comfortable in the water is not only to follow all the other shark advice out there, but to swim in a group. Always. If I leave my group, I get paranoid. Sure, that's part of the safety advice, and you should be doing it anyways, but it really buoys the comfort level.

Also, I remember reading a post where someone said to thump a shark on the head or gills if you are attacked. This is not quite right. You do want to go for the gills, but your other target should be the eyes or snout.

[Merman_Shawn]

I suppose what worries me most: Is that we as merfolk, swim in costumes designed to look like fish. Thus the result is that we sparkle and shine like a shark's natural prey. I know that surfers are attacked, because from below they appear to be seals to a confused shark. So my question would be: How to ensure shark safety when you look like a snack?
I've seen the video's of Hannah swimming with sharks in her sparkly sequined tail, I'm just curious about this.

[Drowning]

Sharks aren't much of a threat to scuba divers, but if Mermaids stay in shallow water, close to shore (where most shark attacks take place) and you look like a fish...
Don't hate sharks, but understand you look tasty. :drool:

[Gem Stone]

Sharks stay on the surface and near beaches so I swim offshore and underwater as much as possible. Also, the amount of dolphin make it hard to see sharks as the two species tend to avoid each other where we go. (that last one may not be a fact, but merely an observation on my part)

[drucilla]

The odds of being attacked by a shark are incredibly small. You're 10 times more likely to be hit by lightning.
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/education/questions/attack.html#chance

Maybe you could go to the aquarium to learn more about them? Or I suggest you just spend more time in the water so you realize that you're extremely unlikely to be attacked by a shark.
Two words, "Roy Sullivan," poor guy...

[Mizuko]

I feel the same. I'm from Port Lincoln in Australia. Great White capital outside South Africa... I actually know people who have been eaten by sharks (its a small town, so all the fishermen/surfers know each other...) And although I cant say I'm not scared of being attacked, I try not to let that keep me from the water. I'm careful where I swim, and locals are very sure to let everyone know if there's been a sighting, so that's really all I can do. I think the worst thing would be to have all these beautiful beaches/swimming/surfing places at your fingertips but never use them for fear of sharks <3

[Dacora]

I think the fear of being attacked is hard to avoid and overcome fully. It's embedded in our mind as humans to help us survive from a long time ago.
Learning about what scares you and how to handle your self does help. I know this is kinda pessimistic, but another thing that helps me is if it happens, it happens. I'm a fairly small girl and if a shark (or any animal bigger than me for that matter) really wanted to eat me there wouldn't be a whole lot I could do to stop it besides punching the nose or pulling the gills, so why worry about somthing you have no control over? It helps me to relax and enjoy what I'm doing and just be in the moment.

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[AptaMer]

Perhaps these TV shows on a freediver overcoming fear of sharks might be helpful.


http://youtu.be/zx2g9QlsNdc


http://youtu.be/zqfCABPcvAg

[drucilla]

I've been trying to get over my fear of sharks. Reading about them helps a little. Back in August I took an extra step and decided to go swimming with the leopard sharks in la jolla to help make me realize that not all sharks are big and scary. I figured it would be a good next step in getting over that fear. Well, I did it and they were way more scared of people than I had ever thought. So much in fact that if you make any sudden movements they scatter. I think it really helped, though I still wont be swimming with any great white or bull sharks.

[Echidna]

I still wont be swimming with any great white or bull sharks.

And it's very prudent not to.

Many people do not seem to realize there are different breeds of shark.
Most are small and harmless, some are large but also harmless, and a few are dangerous.
Tropes like "I've swum with nurse sharks and they didn't harm me at all, sharks are just misunderstood derp" are not really helping someone who has great whites in their area.
Yes, nurse sharks are harmless :rolleyes: so are many other sharks.

That doesn't mean it's a good idea to jump in where tiger and bull sharks patrol, and where 2 surfers were attacked last week.

[Jeblily]

One of the most important things for actually feeling safe when swimming for me is just having somebody with me, a tip that all swimmers should follow just for safety. Communicate with your fellow swimmer and if something seems wrong then leave, don't panic that will make things worse, just quietly swim off... Freaking out is the worst thing you can do, think of it like this when you're panicking when swimming you want to sneak away from the shark not gain it's attention.

I was in Mexico this past summer and was swimming with this one great barracuda who would follow me and slowly get closer..... At first I was scared but then I realized he was still frightened of me, if I stepped closer to him he backed away. If you are in the shallows another idea if a shark is too close for comfort is to take a handful of sand and fling it as far away from you as you can. The splash will get the sharks attention and it will probably swim towards the splash. I actually tried this with the barracuda it was pretty fun, it was like playing fetch. :lol: The barracuda was especially attracted the one day I was wearing a bathing suit with this silver chain on it, of course when I was holding my baby sister, lol, and she kept splashing me :doh:, so I kept taking handfuls of sand and throwing it out so it would go away.
Also realize you will probably have never have to truly worry about a shark attack, especially if you follow the tips that everyone has posted!!! :)

Oh and my dad actually did get chased by a tiger shark once when he was snorkeling in a school of fish, the tiger shark just started chasing him! My dad tried to out swim it at first, didn't work ;). He ended up punching it in the nose, and he said it seemed so surprised turned around and swam away.

If just the idea of sharks makes you uneasy then I suggest doing a dive at your local aquarium's shark tank and see if they will let you be in the cage. I did it and it was really fun and cool! You get to see the sharks in a somewhat similar setting as to when you are swimming. I actually conquered my fear of sharks this way, the cage had what looked like a HUGE hole in the middle which turned out to be Plexiglas, me and my friends took turns daring each other to reach our arms further out!!!


One last tip, if you are swimming in a high risk area for shark attacks carry shark repellent. It is a little canister that releases a chemical that repels sharks, even when they are attacking!!!! There is also a little electronic device you can swim with that repels sharks, but it is expensive and may be unpleasant to fishy friends.

It makes me laugh though, people fear sharks like crazy because they feel defenseless against them but simple items like a repellent can be all the protection you would need. I think repellents should be more commonly sold to people swimming in these areas because they could remove allot of the fears and concerns that people have.

[Mermaid Adrienne]

I have the same thing :/ it especially creeps me out when the water is dark but seaweed or kelp is flowing upwards while looking down from the surface... it reminds me of tentacles or anything that could possibly be swimming around underneath without my knowledge. I'm in Australia and theres recently been reports of bull sharks breeding in waterways... It's quite daunting yet I love sharks and am still a little afraid of them at the same time.

[Mermaid_Sarina]

I think one of the best things I've learnt over the years that helps with fear of sharks and any other sea creatures is that they are likely just as terrified as us. I mean I'm not going to go up to a shark because of that and try and scare it away but its good to know that its probably scared of me too :) Makes me feel a little easier when swimming in the ocean. And being from Australia I have other things to worry about like Jellyfish :P

[kellygracee]

This was a good read. I recently found a shark that's been hanging out where we perform nightly night swims and it's been worrying me to be honest. :/




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[KateyMermaid]

Sharks are very smart creatures. They are also lazy.
You are bigger than they are.
You are scary.
Chances are, that shark is either 1) afraid of you or 2) has decided it own self preservation is more important.

I agree with what people say above though, exercise reasonable caution. Shark repellent isn't a bad idea. And never swim alone. Ever.
Sharks also go for splashy surface swimmers, stay below the surface, stay calm and they will pass you by.
Lastly, avoid swimming during sharks active hours. Early morning, twilight, and night dives are more likely times to encounter shark activity. Less likely to encounter a shark, or be bitten by a shark during the day.

Really sharks ARE misunderstood and misrepresented. 99% of shark attacks are not malicious. They don't want to eat humans. Most shark attacks are exploratory bites (I'm not saying that's not dangerous. It is. People die from these bites obviously). My point is that most sharks are not "man eaters".

I have swam with sand tiger sharks, nurse sharks, black tip, white tip and shark rays. Both in scuba gear and in a mermaid tail.
Honestly, those animals could not have cared less about me.

Bottom line:
Be smart. Don't take unreasonable risks. And they are definitely more afraid of you than you are of them.
These photos are from when I used to dive at an aquarium.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160619/3d984d8d9d1a4d72c9f8033d8e7d4dca.jpg
Shark Ray. I'm the diver on the right

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160619/0592e9aec7617d2fb0ff4538191a8ed9.jpg
I'm the diver on the right.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160619/cbf0d89650a5057d008d6c69363742a4.jpg
A few sand tigers came to say hello. I'm on the right.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160619/4897c3f7e36ce77a3273a09faa960047.jpg
I'm the diver that does not have the yellow fins.


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[Mermaid Alea]

I just read through this thread and I feel very much the same way as many of you. When I am out there swimming, I can't keep from looking out at the expanse of water and thinking, "What if there is a shark close by and I can't even see it!?" I do get paranoid about it, but I do naturally feel safer the more people there are out swimming with me. I used to not understand why that made me feel far less paranoid, but then when I read about how to avoid shark attacks and how there is safety in numbers it all made sense. It is instinctual to feel safer in a group, because you ARE safer! Unfortunately it is normally me and one other person out there swimming instead of a group.

I have been thinking about sharks a lot lately because we have moved to a house on the bay. It was a dream come true as far as mermaiding goes, but so far I am finding that the bay's visibility isn't so great - a fact that scares me. I know that bull sharks can and will swim into bays, but in all my research trying to find any records of sharks being in this bay, I couldn't find any. The neighbors did tell us that sometimes alligators are in the bay and a few years ago there was a big male one that was here but someone eventually had him relocated. I often see a pod of dolphins swim by chasing fish.

Well yesterday my parent's friends were looking at a house on the bay a bit further down from our location on the bay near the bridge that goes across the bay, and when they walked to the back of the house to see the view of the bay they saw that the neighbors were in knee deep water all amazed because out in the water near them was a big hammerhead shark swimming by.

On one hand, I think this is really cool and I feel like it gives me solid evidence that yes, not only is there a shark in the bay and it isn't a bull shark (I figured maybe only bull sharks come into the upper bay). On the other hand, I was out there mermaiding yesterday, the day people saw a hammerhead in the bay not too far from us and in shallow water (I was swimming in shallow water). Two dolphins passed by us very close hunting fish so there was enough out there yesterday to attract big predators. The visibility was bad and I had goggles on and I felt uneasy because of the visibility. My Mom was on a float with the dog floating around. She quickly got too cold and wanted to get out, and I made a quick swim around the dock and even though she was on the dock watching me I felt uneasy with her not in the water, so I quickly got out.

It is a bit scary to think about, but I will just keep making sure I am not doing anything to attract sharks and I am swimming with someone. It is a great mermaid dream for me to be right here on the water where I can mermaid often. Unfortunately the water visibility isn't great, but I am determined to keep swimming all the while keeping in mind to swim with others and to remember that there might be a shark nearby, but that doesn't mean they are going to come bite me.