I'm taking a three hour boat ride through shark infested waters in December. I'll be near shore in a populated area. If I have to abandon the boat I'll most likely be swimming to shore. There are lots of sharks in the area. I need help preparing for this trip. Any ideas would be welcome.

I guess I should mention it will be warm in December.

Rule number one with any wildlife.

DON'T PANIC!!


May sound like a flip smart-alek response but panicking makes everything worse and predators take advantage of prey panic.

What size boat? What survival gear is on board. The best way to deal with sharks is to not get wet. Get into the life-raft or life-boat and don't look like something that needs to be tasted.

That's what Gilligan thought too.

There isn't any way to "deal" with sharks. If you're in water that sharks inhabit and they are of the sort to take a bite out of people, you're fair game.

I've never seen or heard of any shark repellents that actually worked.

Best thing to do is stay in the boat.

The number of people who traverse "shark infested waters" without being eaten are huge, the number of people who are eaten or even attacked by sharks is infinitesimal.

Take comfort in statistics.

John E

If you do go in the water, make sure a lot of others are in the water with you. this way your chances are better. If you are with 7-people, you have a 1 in 8 chance of becoming dinner rather then a 100% chance when by yourself….

Poor sharks, like Grizzly Bears, Wolves, Lions and Himalayan Leopards their numbers are grossly depleted to near extinction from shark fin soup and lazy Elk Hunters who feel outmatched with only a Weatherby .300 mag." Sometimes you get the bear.Sometimes the bear gets you."Our losses are infintesimal.

Here is trick a diver devised that goes strangely ignored. What is the one creature sharks don't mess with smaller than they are? It is the sea snake. And what does a sea snake look like? It is black and white banded. This diver painted his wetsuit with white bands and reported every shark within visual range sudenly broke off when he appeared.

A third survival trick, one I've ascribed to since my own service separation was coined by a young JFK writing to a friend who had just been commisioned- " Don't go near the water."

"... diver painted his wetsuit with white bands..."

So he looked like a jailbird in the water, right???

If you happen to be the one who gets lost, then it's HUGE.

Go for the eyes.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/survival-guide/shark.html