Love the ocean, but can’t go any deeper than your knees? Does the thought of a shark’s open mouth and large teeth send a shiver down your spine?
As an avid underwater photographer, there is nothing better than witnessing a shark swimming past in its natural environment. Media and cinematic movies portray these creatures as mindless killing machines. Ask anyone the first thing that comes to mind when you say, Shark. 90% of the time it will have something to do with attacks and teeth.
In reality, they are on the most part completely scared of you and very cautious. Every now and then a shark will be inquisitive and curious to see what you are and swim close by to have a look. Their eyes show that these creatures are far more intelligent than we give them credit for.
The earliest known sharks date be to 420 million years, way before humans existed. Since humans have existed, Sharks have been a part of mythology for numerous cultures. Unfortunately most of the time they have been portrayed as killing machines instilling fears.
Sharks have been studied by scientists for many years, even using scientific results to enhance the performance of swimmers. In the late 90’s- early 2000’s, Speedo designed a swimsuit based on the design of the skin of sharks that allowed
Since the 1970s, shark populations throughout the world have been reduced by over 70%. They are an integral part of the overall ecosystem that we depend on.
The fear of sharks stems from not sharks themselves, but from how they attack. It is raw, graphic, uncouth even. Numerous big-budget and low-budget movies have depicted these animals having a taste for human blood. The reality is they don’t have hands to touch the food before eating. Most shark fatalities are due to blood loss.
Do you question you might be killed in a car accident every single time you get behind the wheel?
This is actually 200% more dangerous than going for a swim in the ocean; we do this without even thinking about it.
To reduce your fear of sharks you first need to:
Accept the ocean is where Sharks live.
Acknowledge Sharks are not mindless killing machines.
Understand Shark patterns and adjust your schedule i.e sharks feed at dusk and dawn.
Learn the facts, in 2020 there were 57 attacks worldwide, only 10 of those were fatal. More people with fatally killed by domestic dogs.
Confront your fears by swimming with sharks in a controlled environment.
Swimly can help you with your fear of sharks by educating about these fascinating animals and exposing you to them in a safe and controlled environment.
