Shark Attack Experts Share Their Best Family Beach Safety Tips

In case your summer season plans embody long days at the beach with the fam, there is a not-zero probability you are involved about shark assaults. In any case, when three people were bitten by sharks in Florida inside 90 minutes final June, studies of the bites dominated headlines. And although these conditions are extremely rare, you is perhaps questioning how widespread a shark assault is, what you need to do to maintain your loved ones safe in the water, and what you need to do in the event you do end up or a cherished one going through a shark chew. (Eeep.)

Based on the Florida Museum of Pure Historical past (residence of some actually unimaginable shark consultants, since most bites occur within the Sunshine State), there have been 88 shark bite incidents investigated in 2024. A few of which included sharks biting boats (not individuals), or unconfirmed circumstances the place swimmers have been injured within the water however couldn’t conclude the way it occurred. There have been 47 unprovoked shark bites, that means they occurred within the shark’s pure habitat with no provocation from the human — what we usually consider as a shark assault.

First, some reassuring stats from Bernard Fisher, the director of well being and security on the American Lifeguard Affiliation: “Regardless of their dramatic nature, your possibilities of encountering a shark are very low. Based on the Florida Museum of Pure Historical past, the chance of a deadly shark assault is 1 in 4,332,817, making it more likely to be struck by lightning than to be bitten by a shark,” he says.

How To Shield Your Household From Shark Assaults

Once more, shark assaults are exceedingly uncommon. That mentioned, there are precautions you possibly can take to assist shield your loved ones whereas within the water. Fisher provides the next suggestions:

• Swim in teams: “Sharks usually tend to goal lone swimmers,” he says, which makes the buddy system all of the extra important.
• Keep away from daybreak, nightfall, and night time swimming: “Sharks are most lively throughout these instances,” Fisher says, so restrict your loved ones’s swimming time to peak daytime.
• Keep near shore: “This reduces the possibilities of encountering a shark and makes rescue simpler if crucial,” notes Fisher.
• Keep away from carrying shiny jewellery: “The reflection can resemble fish scales and appeal to sharks,” which implies your enjoyable baubles are finest left within the seaside bag.
• Be cautious round fishing areas: “Keep away from swimming close to fishing piers or boats the place bait could appeal to sharks,” he says.
• Don’t enter the water with an open wound: “Sharks can scent blood from miles away and is perhaps drawn to it,” he says, although it’s value noting that the possibilities of being attacked by a shark as a result of interval blood (and even urine) are nonetheless very, very slim.
• Keep vigilant: “All the time concentrate on your environment and search for warning indicators or flags indicating shark exercise,” Fisher advises.
• Adhere to the recommendation of lifeguards: “All the time observe the directions given by lifeguards and seaside officers.”

What To Do If You See A Shark Close by

Regardless that your primal intuition can be to panic, Fisher advises attempting to maintain your cool as finest you possibly can — sure, even when your youngsters are with you within the shark-infested seas. “If you happen to spot a shark within the water close by, stay calm and don’t make sudden actions,” he says. “Slowly and easily swim again to shore, maintaining a tally of the shark with out splashing.”

Richard Peirce, an creator, shark professional, and former chair of the UK-based Shark Trust and Shark Conservation Society, advised CNN that many instances, sharks give “exploratory bites,” that means they’re not truly attempting to assault you, as a result of they typically attempt to keep away from individuals. (Guess the sensation is mutual!)

“A shark has acquired no paws or palms, so if it desires to discover one thing, the one functionality it’s acquired to try this is to place it in its mouth,” Peirce advised the outlet. “That’s why we regularly get exploratory bites, which don’t lead to demise and generally don’t even lead to severe damage. If you happen to go swimming and splashing away, you’re nearly inviting the shark to come back provide you with an exploratory or an assault chew.”

He recommends sustaining eye contact as finest as attainable, particularly if the shark appears to be in assault mode. Then, you’ll need to make your physique as large as attainable. “The larger you might be within the water, the extra respect you’ll get,” he mentioned. If the shark is solely passing by way of, curling up right into a ball lets them know you’re not competitors, and so they’ll (hopefully!) simply swim proper previous you.

What To Do If Somebody Will get Bitten

If a shark chew happens, you’ll need to do your finest to kick, punch, and poke the shark (OMG, we all know!) in delicate spots. Peirce recommends going for the gills, versus the nostril, as a result of proper beneath the nostril is their mouth. Additionally, in the event you’re holding something, use it as a weapon. “If you happen to’re a diver with an underwater digital camera, use it; in the event you’re a snorkeler, rip off your snorkel and use it to poke the shark,” he advised CNN.

As quickly as you’re in a position, swimming calmly out of the water is essential since you’ll need to start triage ASAP. Fisher’s prime suggestions:

• Get out of the water: Assist the sufferer out of the water as rapidly and calmly as attainable.
• Cease the bleeding: Apply strain to the wound utilizing a clear material or bandage, if out there.
• Name for assist: Instantly name emergency companies or alert lifeguards, or ask a selected bystander to take action.
• Hold the sufferer calm and heat: Lay the individual down and preserve them heat to stop shock till medical assist arrives.

As scary as this all sounds, you possibly can relaxation straightforward figuring out that the possibilities of going through a real-life Jaws scenario are fairly unlikely. That mentioned, a minimum of you will be ready, so ensure you share this data along with your youngsters and anybody else you’re swimming with, and hopefully, you’ll by no means want to truly apply any of it.