Most people would be happy to just stay away from a shark, but at least this spear fisherman did what could have been seen as the right thing by just getting away. The shark that attacked the guy was hard to identify thanks to the shaking of the camera, but it was easily big enough to be a big problem, and it looks like the critter even managed to rip off one of the guy’s flippers in the initial attack from behind. Sharks aren’t known to be territorial for the most part but if they perceive a human as a threat then they might feel the need to attack. It could also have been that the shark was currently in a feeding ground, which would also be a precursor to an attack.
Sharks don’t normally go after human beings regardless of what you’ve seen in movies like Jaws, Deep Blue Sea, and many other films in which sharks are the antagonists. They stick mostly to marine life and will usually only attack a human by mistake. In fact a lot of shark bites are said to be curious nibbles that the shark will perpetrate when they’re trying to decide if a human in a wetsuit is a seal or not. Of course a ‘nibble’ from a shark, something that has multiple rows of sharpened, saw-like teeth that can rip through many surfaces, could be a very serious wound to a human. Some sharks are attracted by blood, but these are usually sharks that have no fear of anything and have learned to go after bigger prey. Had this been the case in this instance the diver likely wound’t have been submitting the video for the viewing pleasure of however many people have seen it. Sharks are quite vicious when they’re hungry, but they aren’t really the killing machines that they’re made out to be.
However if there is a means of egress from an aggressive shark it’s recommended to take it if possible. If not there’s actually a note of truth to the fact that a shark can be stared down. Sharks are apex predators, meaning that they’re at the top of the food chain and have no natural enemies that see them as a food source, aside from human beings. In their element they are at the very top. But because of that they expect their prey to run, not to fight back. It’s possible to shove a shark and even punch it in the snout, the gills, poke at its eyes, and get it to think that you’re not some weak and wounded prey animal, that you’ll fight back. If this is possible then it’s a sure way to cause your adrenaline to spike, but it’s also a way to get sharks to leave you alone. This guy probably took the best path since it seems that while he saw it as a rush at the end, he was pretty scared initially, as many people would be.
Sharks are no joke when they’re encountered in the wild.
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