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As temperatures proceed to succeed in file highs, Americans are travelling to the US coasts for reprieve from the sweltering warmth and heading to the seaside. But beach-goers are being suggested to maintain their wits about them: There’s been a latest enhance within the variety of reported shark assaults and sightings.
At least 4 folks had been injured in Long Island, New York, because of shark encounters this summer season and elsewhere seashores are being closed or carefully monitored as fears of extra shark assaults rise.
While consultants guarantee us that this latest string of assaults isn’t essentially a trigger for concern (shark assaults proceed to be “rare”), they’ve additionally offered us with the instruments we have to lower the chance of an assault.
Dr Neil Hammerschlag, a marine ecologist, analysis affiliate professor on the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science and Abess Center for Ecosystem Science & Policy, and director of Shark Research & Conservation Program (SRC), instructed The Independent that folks ought to keep away from swimming within the ocean in locations and at occasions the place it might be simple for a shark to mistake you as prey, comparable to at evening, or in murky water, the place “it can be hard for a shark to tell the difference between your hand or a fish”.
Though, he emphasizes, it is very important bear in mind “shark bites are rare” as a result of “humans are just not on the menu for sharks”.
Dr Hammerschlag additionally advises towards swimming in areas of the ocean the place you recognize there are lots of fish, comparable to the place individuals are fishing, as “sharks are attracted” to those areas because of the ease by which they’ll discover meals. “A fish that gets caught on a fishing line and is bleeding and struggling is a dinner bell to the shark,” he defined. “Many sharks seek out places where people fish in the hopes of catching an easy meal.”
Swimmers also needs to keep away from locations the place a river mouth meets the ocean, as he famous that rivers can pour lots of vitamins and sand into the ocean, resulting in poor visibility. These areas, that are heavy in vitamins and small organisms, additionally appeal to greater animals on the lookout for prey. Dr Hammerschlag mentioned it’s also necessary to recollect that there’s “safety in numbers” and that, usually, one shouldn’t swim in a distant space alone.
To additional lower the chance of attracting a shark, Dr Hammerschlag additionally recommends taking your jewelry off earlier than catching some waves. The shininess can catch gentle and be engaging to sharks because of the resemblance to a fish scale.
For his ultimate piece of recommendation, Dr Hammerschlag mentioned to observe your intestine and intuition.
“Many people that were bitten said they had a weird feeling, or that their inner voice told them to get out of the water,” he instructed us. “It’s very possible that our subconscious is identifying something our conscious isn’t. It isn’t scientific, but listen to your gut.”
In the “unlikely scenario” {that a} shark does method you when you are swimming within the ocean, Dr Hammerschlag mentioned there are additionally just a few issues that swimmers can do to additional lower the chance they are going to be bitten.
One of an important issues he suggests a swimmer do is to keep up eye contact with the animal. He famous that they’re “ambush predators” and discover themselves uncomfortable when they’re checked out.
“The most important thing to remember is, if you see a shark, maintain eye contact with the shark because they are ambush predators and they don’t appear to like to be looked at,” he defined. “In the natural world, one way to tell your predator they can’t sneak up on you is to maintain eye contact.”
Dr Hammerschlag mentioned this additionally means manoeuvring your physique the identical manner because the shark. “If the shark swims to the left, you also swim to the left,” he mentioned. “If you are following it with your eyes and your body, it tells the shark you see it and it can’t ambush you.”
As for what you shouldn’t do, he confused the significance of remaining calm and avoiding the intuition to swim away as shortly as potential. Swimmers which are flailing round might unintentionally recommend to the shark that they’re meals.
“Food runs away from predators. You don’t want to act like food,” he mentioned, earlier than including that, as an alternative, swimmers ought to stroll or swim backwards slowly whereas sustaining eye contact. “Humans are much bigger than most other things in the ocean, I would follow the shark to let it know you see it and you’re alerted to it and I would back up slowly. Walk or swim backwards in the direction of the exit,” he mentioned.
Dr Hammerschlag additionally inspired those that discover themselves face-to-face with a shark to keep away from attempting to “make contact” with the animal, as it will possibly anger the shark relatively than deter it.
“Never try to make contact with the shark,” he mentioned. “They usually don’t want to swim up and bite someone. If you swing or punch it, you’re more likely to cause distress and elicit an aggressive response or end up putting your hand in its mouth. Last thing you want to do is whack at it.”
Those who’re swimming with an object comparable to a snorkel or surfboard, Dr Hammerschlag suggests, can place it in between themselves and the shark as a barrier, as he mentioned the shark will be capable to inform “there’s a physical barrier”.
“The best thing to do is maintain eye contact, don’t try and hit it, give personal space and just try to back out slowly and calmly, but keep looking in the direction it was,” he summed up. “But obviously yell for help and someone can help you.”
If the above doesn’t work, and the shark continues to method or tries to chew, Dr Hammerschlag mentioned people ought to battle again by aiming for the snout or very delicate areas such because the gills or eyes.
While he reiterated that it’s “very unlikely” you can be bitten, if you’re, he mentioned to battle again “as hard as you can”. “Bang and punch and kick whatever you can and yell. Do not play dead. They’re likely to let you go,” he mentioned.
As for why a shark would chew a human, Dr Hammerschlag instructed us that it might be for any variety of causes, together with that the animal is hungry or just curious. In the vast majority of shark assault circumstances, he says that the animal bites simply as soon as, as “they realise you’re not a natural prey item, or the person screamed and they started kicking, and the shark didn’t anticipate that”.
Of course, there are some circumstances the place a shark will return and chew once more. He mentioned, in these uncommon cases, it’s value remembering that the sharks are predators and that they could view you as potential prey.
If you’re bitten by a shark, Dr Hammerschlag mentioned an important factor to do is name for assist. The subsequent step is to “do whatever you can to stop the bleeding”.
The American Lifeguard Association corroborated that recommendation, with a spokesperson telling us that, if bitten,“attempt to stop or slow the bleeding even before leaving the water by using direct pressure on the wound”.
“Leave the water as quickly and calmly as possible,” the ALA mentioned, including that victims ought to “get urgent medical attention, no matter how minor the injury is”.
As for the best way to help somebody who has been bitten by a shark, the ALA mentioned step one needs to be “notifying the beach patrol or lifeguard and calling 911 as soon as possible”.
The sufferer ought to then be faraway from the water. The ALA notes that “extreme care” needs to be used when doing so, and that it is very important not “endanger yourself”. They advise that the perfect technique for eradicating a shark chew sufferer from the water is by boat or jet sky.
“Remember that a rescuer should always ensure the scene is safe to approach and always try to reach, throw or row to them but do not enter the water unless you are a trained lifeguard and have the proper equipment to assist,” the ALA said.
The rescuer ought to then try to cease the bleeding “by employing direct pressure,” and if vital, utilizing a tourniquet. After the sufferer has been faraway from the water, the ALA advises towards transferring them except vital, and “protecting the victim from the cold by wrapping them in a blanket to reduce body heat loss”.
“Stay with the victim, continue to control the bleeding, monitor vital signs, and wait until the Emergency Medical Services take over,” the ALA mentioned.
While there have been a variety of shark assault reviews this summer season, Dr Hammerschlag isn’t stunned. He mentioned it needs to be anticipated because of the variety of folks within the ocean.
“Sharks in the ocean is common. They live in the ocean and that’s where you’re going to find them,” he mentioned, including that, when there are extra folks within the ocean, it “obviously increases chances of a shark bite because it’s a numbers game”.
The physician went on to say that the variety of shark encounters might enhance because of local weather change.
“Waters that were too cold for those species are now becoming warm enough to make them habitable,” Dr Hammerschlag defined, earlier than sharing that hotter waters enhance shark metabolisms, which in flip might enhance the necessity for the animals to feed.
“Warmer water tends to speed up metabolism, so it might increase their need to feed, which might make them curious and come to areas looking for potential food,” he mentioned. He additionally referenced a research he revealed on tiger sharks, which discovered that tiger sharks are migrating additional north and spending extra time there as a result of waters off the northeast are warming at a a lot larger price.
While there’s at all times the opportunity of a shark encounter when swimming within the ocean, Dr Hammerschlag reiterated that shark bites are “really rare” and that the worry round them might have extra to do with a “primordial fear” of the creatures dwelling within the ocean.
“We have this primordial fear. On land, we have conquered everything, but in the ocean, we have this innate fear of swimming and something coming up and eating you,” he mentioned. “It makes you so much more scared of it and the situation so much more sensationalised.”
As for the chance of a shark assault, the ALA mentioned: “You have a greater chance of dying from a lightning bolt than a shark attack,” whereas Dr Hammerschlag added: “If you never want a shark bite, don’t go in the water. That’s the only way you can guarantee it.”
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