The eyes, nose, and gills are all good targets. “Anything that shows the shark you won't take it,” he says. “Maybe you'll get out.” Having a weapon on hand is even better. You can use a knife and aim for the gills or underside of the shark, but don't try stabbing the top.
Hit the shark in the face and gills. Your best bet, if attacked, is to make the shark see you as a strong, credible threat. Usually, a hard blow to the shark's gills, eyes or snout (end of its nose) will cause it to retreat. These are really the only vulnerable areas on a shark.
If you're being attacked and fighting back, try to avoid the dangerous mouth and go for the gills behind the mouth near the pectoral fins. A good shot to the gills can also do the job: “The gills are very sensitive – giving a shark a whack in the gills isn't a bad idea.” Are you carrying anything with you?
If, by any chance, you do encounter a shark, remain calm and avoid panicking. Show the shark that you're not docile and can defend yourself. Remember to target the shark's eyes, nose, or gills if attacked, and seek immediate medical attention for any injuries. Having a weapon like a knife can also be helpful.
Despite the old saying that aiming for the snout is the best strategy, a shark's most sensitive areas are really its eyes and its gills. Aiming for the nose, which is not known to be a weak spot, is generally considered a bad idea.
“If... a shark bites you, what we recommend is you should hit the shark in the eye, in the nose, or stick your hand in the gills,” says Chris Lowe, of the California State University Long Beach Shark Lab, in an instructional video. “Those are all sensitive tissues and quite often it causes the shark to release.”
It didn't hurt at all. I often say to people, “It doesn't hurt to get eaten by a shark.” There's no pain, initially, because their teeth are so sharp that you don't feel the bite. It was like if someone puts their hand around your wrist and gives your arm a shake.
ESDs aim to overwhelm a shark's electro-sensory system. They emit electrical pulses (each one does so in a different way) that are supposed to repel the shark. So far, ESDs have been the most effective type of personal shark repellent.
Popping a shark on the tip of its nose should make it retreat, at least temporarily. “An aggressive shark often will return, however, and each subsequent hit to the snout will be less effective,” warns the Florida Museum of Natural History.
What does a shark attack feel like? While each survivor describes the experience differently, a common description from shark attack survivors is the attack feels similar to being punched or bumped. Some survivors have even recounted no pain at all!
You can use a knife and aim for the gills or underside of the shark, but don't try stabbing the top. “You won't be able to penetrate it,” he says.
Sharks are not particularly attracted to human blood, contrary to what is shown in movies. It's not actually just blood, but any bodily fluid that might attract sharks. However, they can't sniff out one drop of blood from miles away.
It is prejudice. Sharks do not circle in the water before they attack, it is simply their way of trying to form an image of what they are confronting in the water. According to my own numerous observations this motion is a sign of pure curiosity and not an incentive to circle its prey and feed.
Most people do not know a shark is nearby before an attack. Some people receive only a bump from the shark, which likely occurs when the shark is only investigating what is going on at the water's surface.
If a shark sees a human splashing in the water, it may try to investigate, leading to an accidental attack. Still, sharks have more to fear from humans than we do of them. Humans hunt sharks for their meat, internal organs, skin, and fins in order to make products such as shark fin soup, lubricants, and leather.
Their ability to sense these movements may lead people to believe that they can sense fear but ultimately the movements help them locate their prey while they're hunting. Sharks can sense the earth's geomagnetic field, but they can't sense fear.
In addition, research has found that large marine animals such as whales and sharks sequester comparatively large amounts of carbon in their bodies. When they die naturally, they sink to the seafloor, where they are eaten by scavengers.
A shark actually eating a human is rare and extremely unlikely - as we are not a natural prey item. Experts have found that if a shark bites human flesh, it will often spit it out or vomit it up.
Fortunately, sharks don't attack humans deliberately, says conservationist Richard Peirce. If you spot one, breaststroke's a better bet than front crawl. “Move as calmly as possible with minimum splashing.” You can't outpace it, so don't attract it. If it does investigate you, forget any nose- punching myths.
Screaming will not deter the shark much and may provoke it further.
Shark studies have even found that touching a shark's snout can cause it to halt mid-motion and not attack.
For those who still fear going in the water, Bangley suggests looking out for the following: Keeping an eye on birds/fish: If you see birds diving or fish jumping, that could be a indicator that a larger predator, perhaps a shark, could be attempting to prey upon a school of fish.