TAMPA, Fla. — Three people were injured four miles apart from each other in two separate shark attacks up in the Florida panhandle on Friday. While shark bites are rare, there are a few things you can do to reduce your risk.
First off, you can avoid going in the water during darkness or twilight hours, stay out of the water if you're bleeding and swim only in areas tended by lifeguards. But even if you take all the precautions and still encounter a shark, here are some tips:
The Florida Museum has a list of advice for divers but tips can apply to people casually swimming or hanging out in the ocean.
- Swim away quickly but smoothly, watching the shark at all time
- If you're near a structure (possibly a reef or rock), back up against it to reduce the angles at which the shark can approach you
- Use your hand or any sort of equipment to hit the shark on the tip of its nose
- If the shark gets you in its mouth, claw at the eyes and gill openings
Chris Lowe, the director of California State University Long Beach's Shark Lab, also said you should swim calmly back to the beach. Most of the time sharks will just pass by you, but if it's showing signs of aggression, you need to get away. Signs of aggression include dropping its pectoral fin, holding its mouth open or moving towards and away from you fast.
He also said to stick your hand in the gills and eyes because they are sensitive tissues and often cause the shark to release its bite.
"In most cases where people are bitten, the shark simply bites but doesn't remove flesh and rarely comes back. We recommend that your primary priority is getting yourself safely to the beach," he said in a video.
Marine Biologist Taylor Cunningham told Travel and Leisure to make eye contact if you see a shark to establish yourself as a predator. Then you should slowly back away and avoid splashing and making noise.
Most importantly, don't panic. While sharks don't normally see people as prey, they might think you are if you call attention to yourself.