Introduction

With winter in full swing, escaping to a tropical island is a winter dream come true. Be it in Hawaii, the Caribbean, or Australia, vacations should be enjoyed and worry-free. Nothing could be worse than suffering injuries during a vacation, where hospital care is so different than what we are used to. Brad Roemer looks into some of the most dangerous sharks to man, and where to stay out of the water.

Not all sharks are dangerous, but let’s look at the ones that may cause you harm.

While we cannot prevent encounters with sharks completely without staying out of the water, there are some steps you can take to prevent yourself from being a tasty morsel. Shark behaviours differ from species to species and knowing when to stay out of the water is key!

1. Great White Shark – The great whites are the infamous sharks from Jaws! Their range is massive, surprisingly found in every sea and ocean except for the Arctic and Antarctic. With a bite force of over 4,000 pounds per square inch, these sharks will bite through bones easily. Attacks on humans are rare, with only 2,800 in the last 60 years, it is not the way you want to end your vacation. Western Australia has a large number of juvenile sharks transitioning from fish to mammals as their main food source, and many mistakes may happen there. South Africa has one of the highest rates of fatality to shark bites. Having a large population of seals, the main source of food for adult sharks, increases the chances of bites. The southern coasts of the USA boast the largest amount of bites in the last 60 years, with large populations of seals increasing your chances of encounters.
2. Bull Shark – While other sharks are usually solitary creatures, bull sharks can travel in large groups. This testosterone fueled fish is found in coastal areas worldwide, as well as in freshwater rivers. A lot of attacks previously attributed to the great whites are now being classified as bull shark attacks. Their capacity to not only survive but thrive in freshwater increases your chances of encounters with bull sharks. These sharks use visual cues to determine if something is worth biting or not, staying out of murky water will greatly diminish your chance of encounters, and staying out of bright yellows is a good idea, as there are studies that show they are attracted to bright yellows. Very aggressive, they usually stay in waters less than 100 feet deep.
3. Tiger shark – Found in tropical and subtropical waters, the tigers are solitary creatures. Often called the garbage disposal, they have been found to eat just about anything, with one caught with a license plate in its stomach. Often found hanging out in shallow reefs, harbours and river mouths, the chance encounters with humans usually leads to investigative bites. Dusk and dawn do increase your chances of meeting a shark head on.

Conclusion

While leaving the comfort of your home for tropical paradise is tempting, Brad Roemer knows there can be dangerous aspects of swimming in the ocean. He would like to remind you that swimming with the sharks can be fun within a controlled environment. Don’t just haul off and do it yourself.