THIS IS DEEP, THE WATER WAS NOT:
Hapless Hawaii vacationer Harvey Miller was snorkeling in seemingly shark-safe waters when a grey beast nearly bit a limb off last Thursday. AP reports: the attorney from Toledo was about 450 feet offshore from Oahu's Bellows Beach, when "an eight-foot tiger shark chomped into his left leg." [See photos.]
Fortunately, Harvey fought back (as National Geographic >> Shark Attack Tips advises) and survived to share his story. And he'll likely not lose his leg.
CHEW ON THIS:
Randy Honebrink, Hawaii State's Shark Task Force spokesman, surmises the shark was foraging for food when it found Miller. “The only way a shark can tell if something is a potential food source is by biting it,” he said.
Miller's response: “It’s their environment. We’re visitors to it. All we can do is try not to look like food.”
Amen! But...
...IF SHARKS AND CERTAIN CONDITIONS COINCIDE, IT'S EASY TO BECOME FISH FOOD.
For one thing, "often, sharks inhabit the same shallow, warm-water areas as humans. The shark may mistake a person standing or floating in water for natural prey."
For another, many people who don't know or heed these shark safety tips, which could mean the difference between life and death in open water.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW:
Open water conditions can be unpredictable, even dangerous, for divers and swimmers. It's important, then, to take the proper precautions.
Some sharks - especially during feeding frenzies - can be, edacious, "vicious eating machines [...] that indiscriminately attack anything that comes their way."
AT SUCH TIMES, FACTS SUCH AS THESE Shark School >> FAQs ARE MOOT:
Do sharks eat a lot? A shark eats about 2 percent of its body weight per day -- slightly less than a human eats. Because most are cold-blooded, they don't have to eat as much as a human eats. Some sharks can live for a year without eating, surviving on the oil stored in their livers.
Are sharks vicious man-hunters? Sharks are highly-specialized predators, with sharp teeth, strong jaws, streamlined bodies, and powerful senses. However, sharks don't hunt humans -- their feeding strategies evolved well before humans entered the water. Even today, of the over 350 different shark species, fewer than ten are considered dangerous to humans.
There are almost six billion people on our planet, and less than ten people are killed by sharks each year. More sharks are killed by people -- over 12 million each year.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, WITH SHARKS, OF THE FIRST- AND SECOND-HAND KIND:
I've swum with sharks
Nonetheless, I don't sink to seeking sharks out. Not true for certain colleagues in the National Association of Black Scuba Divers and some other adventure-seekers, who swear by shark diving.
Whatever floats their boats. I just hope they follow these Top Ten Safety Tips When Swimming With Sharks.
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