Sing it with me now… “Duuun-Dun. Duuun-Dun…” Do I still need to tell you what I’ll be
talking about today? Yup. SHARKS. They’re the reason you couldn’t get me
into any body of water larger than a bathtub until I was a teenager. And even then, the possibility is never far
from my mind. So believe me when I tell you, before any
trip to the beach I always take some time to review what I should do if I happen to
encounter one. Admittedly, I’ve been swimming in the ocean
for years, and I’ve never actually gotten a glimpse of that terrifying tail fin off
in the horizon; but I did get stung by a jellyfish once, and I’m pretty embarrassed to tell
you that, at that moment, I may have thought I was about to be chomped. But here’s the thing. Out of the nearly 500 different species of
shark that inhabit the oceans today, only a dozen or so have ever been known to go after
humans. And even in those cases, it’s only believed
to have happened because the shark was confused or curious. So, despite what movies like Jaws or The Meg
have shown us over the years, there aren’t any sharks roaming near the shoreline, looking
for people to eat. Sharks are, indeed, opportunists when it comes
to their meals, but they tend to prefer smaller fish and invertebrates. When it comes to us, it’s an old cliché
but it rings true – they’re more scared of you than you are of them. Before I go into what to do if you happen
upon a shark, here are a few quick tips to decrease those chances. First, always swim with a group. Sharks are significantly less likely to go
after a group than a solitary person. But, if the shark goes after the group, have
confidence that you don’t have to be the fastest swimmer, just faster than the other
guy. Yes, I’m kidding. Second, avoid the water at dawn, dusk, or
night. Unless the water is in your swimming pool,
then you’re fine. But seriously, sharks are most active during
these times, and are more likely to spot you before you spot them. Avoid wearing shiny jewelry. This can have the unintended effect of making
you into a human fishing lure. If you’re bleeding at all, it’s best to
stay out of the ocean altogether. Sharks can smell blood from at least 500 yards
away, if not more, and can easily track its source. Finally, avoid areas that are being heavily
fished – by people or birds. The fish that people or seagulls are looking
for are the same kind that sharks like to look for too. Still, anything is possible when you’re
out in the deep blue sea, so if you do see a shark, here’s the plan. You’ve probably heard this before, but it’s
so important that I’m going to tell you again right now. If you see a shark while you’re in the ocean
- Don’t. Freak. Out. Keeping your cool is good advice in any stressful
situation, and while it’s always easier said than done, just remember – you watched
this awesome Bright Side video about what do if you see a shark, and you got this. Okay. With our calm and clear heads, it’s time
to assess the situation. If it’s possible to calmly get yourself
out of the water, do that. Until sharks learn to walk and breathe air,
the best place to avoid a shark is obviously to get to where they can’t go. And to be redundant and repetitive – you
want to make your escape as calmly as possible. If you start splashing around like crazy,
you’re only going to draw the attention of the big fish, and that’s the opposite
of what you want to do. Of course, sharks are more likely to be around
the deeper and more open parts of the water, so a simple and quiet trip back to the shore
isn’t a likely option. This makes not drawing attention to yourself
even more important. Avoid sudden movements. That said, if there are people around, it’s
a good idea to let them know what’s happening, so they can help – or if they didn’t watch
this video, let them freak out and distract the shark for you. Just kidding. Sort of. You’ll probably want to scream, but don’t
do that either. Still, if others are close enough, speak loudly
enough for them to hear so they can help. Try to keep the shark in front of you. Sharks are known as “ambush predators”,
meaning they prefer to get to their prey by surprise. If it knows you’re aware of it, it’s more
likely to be aware of you, and as I already said, you aren’t a favorite on the shark’s
menu. If the shark does manage to get close to you,
make and maintain eye contact. And if that sounds terrifying – don’t
worry – there’s a good chance if you stare into each other’s eyes long enough, maybe
you’ll fall in love! Yes, I’m joking, but this can also help
the shark to recognize you as something other than lunch. If it recognizes you’re a person, it’s
likely going to react the way I do to brussels sprouts at a buffet and move right along to
something else. As it’s swimming by, you may want to curl
up into a ball so that you seem peaceful and won’t be confused for something it does
want to eat, like a seal. If you can’t get away, and the shark begins
to circle or zig-zag around you, it’s time to go into survival mode. In this instance, try to make yourself appear
as large as possible. Hopefully, this will make it think twice before
coming for you and move along. You may consider “playing possum”, but
this is a terrible idea and makes you more vulnerable if things turn aggressive. And if they do, you need to be willing to
fight for your life. You may have heard that socking a shark in
the nose is the way to go, and if that’s your only option, it’s better than nothing. Still, consider that right under a shark nose
is a shark mouth and that’s not where you want to be. If you happen to have a camera or snorkel,
consider using this to go after the eyes or the gills. Fists will work if you don’t have anything
else, and with any luck, aiming for these sensitive areas will be enough to startle
the shark and scare it off long enough for you to make your escape. It’s important to remember what I touched
on at the start. Shark’s just aren’t that into you. Even if you swim in the ocean regularly, statistically
speaking, you have a better chance of an aggressive interaction with a cow or a horse than you
do with a shark. Admittedly those numbers get higher if you’re
a deep-sea diver by profession, but if you are, I’m not telling you anything you don’t
know. The fact is, sharks are a vital part of the
ocean’s food chain. Without them, that chain would fall apart,
and who knows what would happen to our ocean’s ecosystem. Many species, like the hammerhead, are critically
endangered, so if you do come across one, stay cool and only defend yourself if necessary. Chances are, you’re going to be just fine
while it swims away, and you’ll have an amazing story to tell for a long, long time. Finally, in Las Vegas, there are certain Card
Sharks you’ll also want to avoid, but that’s for another video… How about you? Do you like to swim in the ocean? Let me know down in the comments. If you learned something new today then give
this video a “like” and share it with a friend. But – hey! As I always say, it’s better to have lunch
with a shark, than to be lunch for a shark. Besides, We have over 2,000 cool videos for
you to check out. All you have to do is choose the left or right
video, click on it, and enjoy! Stay on the Bright Side of life!
