Shark safety tips to share with loved ones ❤️

Firstly my condolences to anyone who has lost a family member to anything, car accident or a wild animal, its extremely tragic to lose someone and I cannot even imagine how much worse it would be if video of my loved ones death was being shared all around the internet. Fatalities from sharks are extremely rare, fewer than 10 people die annually from a shark and its nature, we are part of their ecosystem when we enter their home, the ocean. Like them or not we all rely on them for the important role they play keeping the ecosystems all life relies on healthy. That said, rather than highlight a rare incident out of sensitivity for the family of the victim, in a situation that had human implications, I’d like to share some educational pointers about shark behavior and safety for the rare situation you could find yourself in if approached by a starving or territorial shark without a trained professional by your side. To help avoid a situation: 1. Try not to swim alone, numbers and size can be intimidating to many sharks, and if an accident happened you’re more likely to survive if you have someone to help you get to professional medical services. 2. Try to turn your body around often, I know as a surfer and swimmer it’s not always natural to do but consistently and periodically turning and facing different directions can help reduce the chances you’re approached. 3. Minimize splashing and noise 4. Be aware of your proximity to fishing, river and drain outlets/dumping, natural prey items, etc. If you are approached by a shark: 1. Extend and inanimate object towards it or assertively move at it. I 2. If its coming close enough to touch or you have been bitten than do your best to continually leverage distance between yourself and the sharks mouth by placing a hand firmly on top of its head, back, or edge of its snout and then locking your elbow to extend your arm and keep space between you. Ultimately the goal is to stay out of its mouth so looking for a contact point and essentially pushing yourself away from it should be the goal. 3. Continue to look for a sharks approach as you move towards your exit Sharks are important and capable apex predators who are very important for the health of the ocean and subsequently planet and all life. they should be respected and protected and we need to learn to coexist as best as possible as we are not separate, not in life, or physically if we choose to enjoy the ocean. We can coexist and safety is crucial to that which is why studying shark and human interactions and sharing information like this is so important to helping others to coexist which helps to mitigate the position where a cull is called for. Social media is too short of a platform to share much but I have more free video’s on my website, and a book and online course if you want to learn more about shark behavior and safety. My condolences to anyone who has lost a family member to anything, car accident or a wild animal, its extremely tragic to lose someone.