Great Barrier Reef – Should I Be Scared Of Sharks?
Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 10:53 am
I enjoy scuba diving and am going to be going to the Great Barrier Reef.
Although I love diving I am concerned about sharks, I’ve heard some bad stories! I’d be going with an experienced local divemaster, not friends or on my own.
It’s something I am really worried about. Please share any thoughts, experiences or advice. Thanks!
Category: Scuba Reef
November 23rd, 2009 at 3:47 pm
well, you are either scared of sharks or not. doesn’t really matter where you go, sharks are everywhere.
my most thrilling dives are when i encounter sharks. they generally stay clear of divers, or at least are relatively uninterested. shark attacks occur more often to swimmers on the surface or surfers (who look like seals laying on their boards?)
from my knowledge of the Great Barrier Reef, (without cutting and pasting from some other website, or directing you to another website,) great white sharks are not commonly encountered North of Sydney, therefore the reef is relatively devoid of GWS’s however, as i said, sharks are everywhere. what i have found to be most problematic at the reef are jelly fish. damn things are a complete nuisance at times. relatively easy to avoid, but they can make a day of diving very painful, or worse, they keep you from diving all together.
[edit] thanks again to the idiot(s) who randomly give good answers a thumbs down. if you have a differing opinion, you are welcome to share, although it’s entirely possible you don’t even know how to even use a keyboard.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Your in the water, an ocean acutally. Sharks live in the ocean. Your a human, not meant for water like a shark is. If your going to sh.t in someones backyard, you better be prepared for concequences.
I would be more worried about the jelly fish than the sharks.
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:08 pm
be afraid be very afraid. The question is should sharks be afraid of you?
November 23rd, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Dude. If you’ve really been diving before, you should have had this thought already. There are sharks everywhere.
When you enter the big blue, you are no longer on top of the food chain. Stay alert. Dive with a buddy. And if you are not comfortable, stay in the boat.
November 24th, 2009 at 1:38 am
http://www.oceanarium.co.uk/zones/barrie…
This should have all you need to know! I’m not an experienced scuba diver but I am an experienced researcher!
November 24th, 2009 at 3:19 am
What’s the most commonly asked question about the Great Barrier Reef? You guessed it – “Will I see a shark?”
Intrigue and mystique, adventure and adrenalin are just a few words that describe the shark experience. These truly graceful creatures have been given a bad reputation by mad men “shark-hunters”, mad journalists, mad moviemakers and even some documentaries. Often you hear things being said such as evil menacing predators. This is definitely not true. If you are lucky, and I mean lucky, you may catch a glimpse of one snorkelling on the reef. If you are diving you can go on a shark search and you will more than likely find one under a crevice or sliding by.
Perhaps no other group of fishes has captured the interest of divers and snorkellers as the shark, and of the 340 or so species only a few are threatening with most no more harmful than the tiniest fish.
The most common variety on the Great Barrier Reef is the Reef Shark. They are generally harmless, quite timid, and pose no threat to divers. Of course there can always be an exception, but that exception is usually provoked, and may come from an over aggressive shark feeding frenzy brought on by irresponsible operators or even careless, non-cautious spearfisherman. The shark attacks that most visitors have heard about occur in the colder areas of Australia and of the fatal attacks, the responsible member is usually the aggressive Tiger Shark or the White Pointer. There are far more fatal attacks on human lives by the common automobile.
There is no cage diving offered on the Great Barrier Reef, however if you are feeling on the adventurous side take a hop to our southern friends. Rodney Fox is the survivor of one the world’s worst attacks and now devotes his life to the research and preservation of them. He can even take you to see them.
November 24th, 2009 at 8:06 am
I have snorkled on the barrier reef of the coast of San Pedro Island in Central America and we seen tons of sharks, but they were mostly nurse sharks. Just be alert of your surroundings and stay with your divemaster.
November 24th, 2009 at 11:37 am
i would be cuz ive even heard on the news that a little boy got bit badly by a shark TWO FEET in the water
November 24th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Believe it or not, there is some sort of device that emits a certain frequency sound that repels sharks(as in they don’t like the sound). The army has been using them for years and they have done extensive testing and not one shark attack has occured. The only problem is getting them. I’m not sure of the price, but i’m guessing they can be kind of expensive. You won’t find them in surf shops because it demotes tourism. When people see it, they think there are sharks in the water.