Most sharks are not dangerous to humans — people are not part of their natural diet. Despite their scary reputation, sharks rarely ever attack humans and would much rather feed on fish and marine mammals. Only about a dozen of the more than 300 species of sharks have been involved in attacks on humans.
What to do if a shark is circling you?
If you find yourself in the middle of an attack...
- Don't panic. So you're being circled by a shark. ...
- Maintain eye contact. As the shark swims around you, keep your head on a swivel and try to maintain eye contact. ...
- Stay big ... or get small. ...
- Don't play dead. This isn't a bear, it's a shark. ...
- Cut off the angles. ...
- Slowly back away.
Can a shark be friendly?
Some of the friendliest shark species do exist and while nobody wants to brush up against a fin in the ocean, the media does a poor job of portraying these fish, for there are actually some friendly sharks out there.
