Here’s what shark experts do to stay safe in the ocean

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Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” begins Sunday for the 37th year. And Steven Spielberg’s movie “Jaws” celebrated its 50th anniversary in June.

Despite the fanfare and some highly publicized reports of shark bites, researchers are quick to point out the apex fish are not the bloodthirsty predators they’re made out to be.

Instances of sharks biting humans are extremely rare.

You’re more likely to die falling into a hole at the beach, in a riptide or in an alligator attack than from a shark bite, according to data from the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File. Last year, the museum recorded 47 unprovoked bites worldwide.

“They’re not these monster killers that just come flying in whenever there’s bait,” said Neil Hammerschlag, a shark researcher based in Nova Scotia, Canada, who charters cage-diving expeditions to bring tourists up close to blue, mako and great white sharks. “They’re very cautious.”

Hammerschlag, who’s been studying sharks for 24 years, said some are more curious about the colour of the boat or the sound of the engine than the 20 pounds of sushi-grade tuna he brings on each trip as bait.

Chris Lowe, the director of the Shark Lab at California State University in Long Beach, said he has “hundreds, if not thousands of hours of footage” of sharks near the shore in California. And, most of the time, they’re there to relax, he said.

For three years, researchers in Lowe’s lab surveyed 26 beaches from Santa Barbara to San Diego with drones and saw sharks swim right under surfers without changing course.

“It’s like they are ignoring us,” he said. “We’re just flotsam, not food or foe.”

The Washington Post asked Hammerschlag and Lowe what they do and the advice they give beachgoers who want to avoid a shark encounter.

Be aware of your surroundings

Lowe said when he’s out in the water he spends some time looking behind himself and others, “like checking my mirrors when I’m driving.” Sharks are stealthy and try to approach other animals from behind.

Don’t treat the ocean like Disneyland, Lowe said. You’re in a wild place where you can’t eliminate all risks. His advice: Be vigilant. It will reduce your likelihood of a shark swimming up too closely to investigate you. And, do your homework about the body of water you’re swimming in.

“Who are you going to be sharing the ocean with? Is it sharks? Is it stingrays?” Lowe said. “When we go in the ocean, we are entering someone else’s home.”

Avoid swimming at dawn, dusk and night

Sharks may confuse a human foot for a fish, or a surfboard for a seal, when visibility is poor, such as in lowlight conditions.

Sharks use their mouth and teeth to inspect what’s in front of them like we use our hands, Hammerschlag said.

“Most shark bites of people are not predatory,” he said. “When sharks have bitten people, it seems that they’re investigatory or mistaken identity.”

Don’t wear reflective jewelry in the water

The light glimmering off jewelry can look like a fish scale to a shark, Hammerschlag said.

He adds reflective stickers to the cage he uses on diving expeditions to try to catch a shark’s attention.

Don’t swim near someone who’s fishing

A fish caught on a line could get the attention of a shark. “Those vibrations are like ringing the dinner bell for a shark,” Hammerschlag said.

However, it can help to swim near other people, Lowe said, since groups of people might be more intimidating than solo swimmers.

Don’t swim where there’s an ‘unusual amount of fish activity’

If you see fish jumping out of water or birds diving for a meal, there could be a “bait ball” of fish nearby, and that’s a feeding opportunity for sharks, Hammerschlag said.

There’s a myth that a pod of dolphins can ward off sharks. But, he said, the opposite may be the case.

“If there’s a big bait ball of fish that dolphins are feeding on, the sharks could be feeing on that, as well,” Hammerschlag said.

Don’t panic when you spot a shark

If you see a shark in the water, don’t panic and swim away, Hammerschlag said. If you do, the shark might see you as prey. And, “you’re not going to outswim a shark,” he said.

Instead, orient your body so you’re always facing the shark and maintain eye contact, Hammerschlag said. Sharks can’t sneak up on you if there’s no element of surprise.

“You’re showing the shark that you see it, and you’re responding to it,” he said. “And that is not a situation that a hunting shark wants to be in.”

If you’re scuba diving, you can also sit on the ocean floor; sharks tend to approach potential prey from below, Hammerschlag said.

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