Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 3 of 4 1 2 3 4
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 279
Offline
It does not surprise me Katie

Carla LOL funny

Gaz

Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,888
Offline
I landed a pink and blue canopy in the Blue Hole, along with 8 other friends wearing brightly colored parachutes. The dive boats were chumming for the sharks to give the scuba divers their show while we were on final approach. Once again proving my theory that if sharks lived on people they would be extinct! cool

Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 577
Offline
That sounds quite exciting, Reaper man. Chumming for sharks.... If people lived on sharks... etc.

TW: Was just in fla at a beach in West Palm that has a lovely white sand extending for almost a mile offshore. This is (apparently) a #1 place to spot sharks from the boardwalk. Hell, I was there alomst 15 minutes and saw nary a one!

Sorry friends, just making light....

Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,888
Offline
Cakes..we're taking you on a leap into the blue hole next year for sure so you can get a better view than from the boardwalk!!!! cool laugh

Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 124
Offline
Shark Information:
The science of shark attacks
What provokes them, and what you can do to avoid them

By Bjorn Carey
LiveScience
Updated: 1:08 p.m. ET July 5, 2005


Despite two highly publicized shark attacks last month along the U.S. coast, at least one scientist says it's safe to go back in the water.

In fact, he points out that you're actually in more danger on the way to the beach.

"There are millions of people in the water at any given moment of the day," said John McEachran of Texas A&M University. "When you consider all of the people in the water at the same time, the number of shark attacks is very, very remote."

Every year across the globe, nearly one million people die in automobile accidents. More than 42,000 of those deaths occur in the United States.

Shark attacks resulting in deaths occur much less frequently than car wrecks, but they get much more publicity.

"Shark attacks are like airplane crashes," said McEachran. "The vast majority of airplane trips are safe, but when a crash occurs, it gets big headlines."

According to the International Shark Attack File, in 2004 there were only seven shark related deaths worldwide. That number was even smaller in 2003 and 2002, when four and three deaths were recorded respectively.

Should you get to the beach safely, there are still plenty of bigger risks to your health than a shark attack.

"A greater percentage of beachgoers are injured by jellyfish, stingrays, or hardhead and gafftop fishes, which have poisonous spines," McEachran said. "They are more likely to cause harm than a shark."

Even peanuts, McEachran says, are a greater threat to humans than sharks. About 90 people die worldwide each year from allergic reactions to eating peanuts.

There's a better chance you'll win the lottery than be bitten by a shark.

You're not dinner
Should you be bitten by a shark, it's not just bad luck for you. Sharks don't really like eating humans. They'd rather snack on a seal or sea lion - something with higher fat and energy content. We're too bony.

"Sharks don't eat humans," shark exert Peter Kimley of the University of California, Davis told LiveScience. "They spit out humans. Humans aren't nutritious enough to be worth the effort."

But most sharks don't have very good vision, and sometimes objects like buoys and people look similar to a seal - a shark's favorite meal.

"A human being of course, close to the surface, does a pretty good job looking like a seal, and one on a surfboard does an even better job," George Burgess, curator of the International Shark Attack File told LiveScience. "It's not like they're out there saying 'let's try to find a human today.'"


Most often, sharks spit people out after carrying them underwater for a ways. Because their eyesight isn't very good, they need to feel objects over with their mouths to decide whether they want to eat them or not.

Humans are usually spat out. Unfortunately, by that time they've either drowned or have bled to death.

How to avoid a shark
The best thing to do when you see a shark is move away, experts say. Move swiftly but calmly - sharks are attracted to splashing. If the shark is already swimming at you, no need to go quietly. Just get away.

If a shark bites you, try to get away before it takes you under for too long. Hit it on the snout, head, and eyes, and it may let you go.

Not all the blame for shark attacks falls on the beasts.

Attacks are more frequent in summer months, Burgess said, because "both sharks and humans have seasons where they want to be in the water at the same time."

Sometimes sharks bite because people provoke them, either by putting food in the water or grabbing one as it swims by. Other times, it's just because someone is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Surfers often unknowingly put themselves in one of these wrong places. The good breaks they crowd around are often created by seamounts on the ocean floor, which are popular feeding areas for sharks.

While the number of shark attacks and deaths is still much lower than car wrecks, attacks have been climbing steadily.

"Decade to decade you find that the number of shark attacks has continued to rise," Burgess said. "This is largely because the human population and interest in water activities has grown."

So what's the prudent course?

"If you use some good common sense in the water, you should be fine," said McEachran. "To put your mind at ease, go to a beach that has lifeguards. They should be looking for possible sharks."

© 2005 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.
© 2005 MSNBC.com

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8473619/page/2/

Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 279
Offline
GREAT article TOM thanks for posting it

When I was diving in South Africa with Great Whites i met a guy on the boat who was writing a book all about different species of Sharks and he told me about when he hired a helicopter to take some ariel photos of the surfers in Durban S Africa and he told me he took some pictures of a HUGE Great white literally a few feet from surfers surfing and expressed how he would of loved to of found the surfer and showed him how close he was to the seas top predator.

I will say if you do go to S africa its one of the places you will not get me swimming LOL and if ya a surfer you certainly increase your chances of meeting the apex predator.

I prefer to keep me scuba gear on and view them that way LOL

Gaz

Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,364
Offline
do we have bull sharks on the tx gulf coast?

Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 728
Offline
RobertE.....I truly hope it's not Dennis that............oh never mind. laugh laugh eek

Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 279
Offline
Yes you do have BULL sharks in the GULF as well a a multiple of other species of sharks.

Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 19
Offline
no sharks here in the Puget Sound.....
but swam with (in my kayak) with a pod of Orcas the other day about 9 of them...totally awesome..
Honey

Page 3 of 4 1 2 3 4

Link Copied to Clipboard
March
S M T W T F S
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Cayo Espanto
Click for Cayo Espanto, and have your own private island
More Links
Click for exciting and adventurous tours of Belize with Katie Valk!
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 314 guests, and 0 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Forum Statistics
Forums44
Topics79,199
Posts500,011
Members20,460
Most Online7,413
Nov 7th, 2021



AmbergrisCaye.com CayeCaulker.org HELP! Visitor Center Goods & Services San Pedro Town
BelizeSearch.com Message Board Lodging Diving Fishing Things to Do History
BelizeNews.com Maps Phonebook Belize Business Directory
BelizeCards.com Picture of the Day

The opinions and views expressed on this board are the subjective opinions of Ambergris Caye Message Board members
and not of the Ambergris Caye Message Board its affiliates, or its employees.

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5