Attack of sharks on people: myths and reality

The vast majority of tourists planning to spend vacations in tropical or equatorial countries on the shores of the warm sea or the ocean, asks about the characteristics of the local fauna. If sea urchins, jellyfish, stingrays, barracudas, scorpions and moray eels cause only an ironic smile, then the attitude towards large predators - sharks - is much more serious. And although the attack of sharks on people, especially in popular tourist areas, is a rare phenomenon, nevertheless, they are capable of sowing unprecedented panic among holidaymakers right up to the total refusal of sea bathing.

In order to understand the validity of this attitude to these animals, you first need to familiarize yourself with the diversity of large marine predators.

Seals and walruses, oddly enough, pose a greater danger to a person than is commonly believed. Despite the fact that cases of attack of these animals are fixed quite rarely, nevertheless, they do not mind eating human flesh. However, they do not pose a serious danger, since their habitat does not coincide with favorite places of rest, and in the Bering Sea there is unlikely to swim casually wandered to that region of tourists.

The most dangerous of marine predators has always been and remains a killer whale - killer whale. The large size, obviously unfriendly attitude, the habit of attacking flocks and the ability to turn a small ship make killer whales really the most ferocious and dangerous animals. Increases the danger and the fact that the range of their habitat is the entire world ocean, excluding the inland seas (like the Black Sea), but to meet it in the coastal zone is almost unrealistic: killer whales prefer to stay at 600-800 meters from the shore.

Fans of South-East Asia should be afraid of meeting with the crocodile. Yes, crocodiles sometimes move freely from the mouths of rivers to the sea, awaiting their prey. Particularly high probability of meeting these animals in mangroves.

Barracuda and moray eels, mentioned above, also pose a serious danger. Barracudas live in the tropics and subtropics (Red, Mediterranean, etc.) As a rule, they do not attack a man - unless by mistake, taking him for a fish. Provoke an attack can light items of clothing, shiny accessories. Morays are a more real danger for divers and divers, along with the sea eel. The range of their habitat coincides with the area of barracuda.

And, finally, sharks. Not all of them represent a danger to humans. Consider below only a few dangerous and relatively dangerous representatives:

1. Tiger shark inhabits the tropics, sometimes comes close to the coast. The most common is found off the coast of Japan, New Zealand, Hawaii and the Caribbean, less often - off the coast of Africa, India and Australia. Hunts mainly in the dark and directly at the surface. The attack of sharks of this species is most often recorded in the Hawaiian Islands and is 3-4 cases per year (given that there are several thousand people on beaches every day).

2. The blue shark lives both in the tropics and in the temperate zone. It does not represent a particular danger to a person: the incidence of attacks is quite rare (no more than 30 per year all over the world). When attacking, it often hurts a person and swims away, than kills and eats.

3. The hammerhead was previously considered one of the most dangerous, which is due solely to its frightening appearance. In fact, attacks on people are recorded extremely rarely.

4. A white shark, called a man-eating shark, fully justifies both of its names. It is found in the coastal waters of the oceans around the globe. Prefers to keep surface layers of water. It was this shark that became a celebrity thanks to the movie "Jaws", although not quite deservedly. White shark prefers fish, birds and marine mammals. Its favorite hunting places are the coast of the USA, the southern coast of Africa, and earlier the Mediterranean Sea. Occasionally it appears in the Red Sea. Hunt prefers in the afternoon. Gives preference to fatty foods. The attack of sharks of this species ends with the death of the victim for a person in 30% of cases, about 140-150 cases are recorded around the world every year.

5. A shark bull or a blunt shark is also very dangerous. It is distributed throughout the world's oceans, often rising upstream of the rivers from the oceans. It attacks, as a rule, on people swimming alone or fish, mammals.

6. Sometimes attacks on humans are also attributed to long-winged sharks, despite the fact that they prefer to hunt at great depths and in the open ocean. As a rule, victims of shipwrecks and air crashes become their prey. To the coast, these sharks are very rare, although, according to the media, in Egypt, not so long ago, five such cases were recorded.

Having dealt with the sources of danger, now let's talk about common misconceptions about sharks.

Thus, it becomes clear that in most cases the fear of sharks is far-fetched and exaggerated. Of course, these predators are dangerous, but rarely real and unfounded. Show respect to the inhabitants of the sea - this is their home, and you - on a visit. When practicing diving, snorkeling, surfing, or just swimming, be careful not to provoke an attack.

When traveling to a particular country, be interested in safety in the sea and in the local fauna. Thus, the attack of sharks in Egypt, though rare, but still the authorities have adopted a policy of protecting tourists from these predators: pay attention to warning signs on the beaches, do not swim far out to sea, especially alone, avoid places where the seabed breaks abruptly. If you have met a predator - do not panic and do not show any interest to it, it is better to get close to the group or to the reef and go quietly. Observance of these rules can save your life, so do not neglect them.

But do not exaggerate the risk of meeting with sharks. So, according to statistics, the number of people killed each year in an accident is many times greater than the number of fatal meetings with these sea predators. But this is not a reason to give up transport?

In addition, a man annually destroys a huge number of sharks, sometimes endangering the existence of entire populations. Therefore, they have more reasons to fear us than vice versa. A person is much more dangerous than any other representative of life on Earth!