What would you do if you were attacked by a shark?

This past week it was revealed the highest rate of shark attacks in the world occurred in 2015 with 98 attacks. It broke the previous record of 88 attacks set in 2000.

Out of the 98 shark attacks in the world, 58 instances happened in the US and 30 of them occurred in Florida. Attending school in an area with such a heavy trend of shark encounters might make you a little nervous, so I asked several UM students what their plan is if they ever come across a shark in the ocean.

Casey Rutherford, Marine Science and Biology double major, Spanish minor ’18

Picture this. You are snorkeling off the coast of Key Biscayne when you see blood in the water several yards ahead. A big reef shark is munching on a snack of raw fish. He decides that sushi isn’t going to fill him up, and decides to aggressively investigate you. What is your plan of action?

“I would’ve gotten out of the water right when I saw the blood up ahead. If I couldn’t get out of the water, I would make sure not to make any sudden movements and I would watch the shark’s behaviors to see if he felt threatened. If he isn’t acting aggressively I would just swim away slowly.”

Michael Joel, Marketing major ’18

If you were in the water and you came across a shark, what would you do?

“I would aim for the gills or the eyes.”

Harley Sacks, Finance major ’19

Imagine you are stuck on a raft in the middle of the ocean. You see a bunch of fins circling your raft – which you promptly realize belong to a shark. What do you do?

“I’d try to avoid going near the shark. If I had a paddle or a stick – or really anything like that – I would try to poke it away.”

Liam Power, Sport Management major, UConn ’18

You are at the beach, and decide to go for a swim in the ocean. When you get to water that is chest-deep, you realize that a shark is approaching you. What is your first move?

“Actually, I was in that situation when I was younger. I was swimming in Sanibel Island, which is near Florida’s Gulf Coast. All of a sudden, I saw two fins about fifteen feet away from me. Earlier in the day, I heard someone saying that dolphins were around, so I assumed the fins belonged to one. We both went closer to each other – and it was within arm’s reach when I realized it was a shark. I immediately turned around and ran out of the water.”

Omar Anis, Economics major, Risk Management minor ’18

Say you are on a boat. You are having fun with your friends, until you realize that someone you know is in the water and eye to eye with a pretty big shark. What do you do?

“Do I have a spear? How big is the shark? How drunk am I? There are so many variables.”

You have a knife. It’s a pretty big shark. It’s mid-afternoon so you are about eight drinks deep.

“Well, I’d probably rip another shot or two, bite the knife and jump in. My goal would be to stab it, but I think my buddy and I could take it down together.”

Connor McDonald, International Studies ’18

If you got attacked, what would you do?

“I would punch it in the nose.”

Jake Milner, Biology ’19

What would you do if you were faced with an angry shark?

“Hope it isn’t hungry. They’re more afraid of us than we are of them.”

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has some tips regarding what to do if you find yourself in any of these scenarios.

Stay in a group, because there is safety in numbers. Few sharks will attack a group of fish when there is an isolated one. The same idea applies to humans.

Don’t let pets in the water if there is a possibility sharks are present. The erratic movements that pets produce can attract predators.

Avoid wearing jewelry when you are swimming. Sharks often mistake the shiny reflections to be scales.

Although the evidence suggests that sharks are on the hunt in Florida, it is not necessarily the case. They are just big fish, and aren’t looking to make a meal out of any swimmer. I am a certified rescue scuba diver, and throughout my experiences in the water, I’ve come across many sharks. Sharks are scary creatures, but they have never harmed me. Every day, people encounter these giants in their natural habitat and live to tell the tale. Chances are, if you do encounter a shark in the wild, you won’t experience a shark attack; you will get the opportunity to see one of the world’s most infamous predators in its natural habitat.