Ocean Sports: 10 Tips to Avoid Sharks

Many people stay out of the ocean because they are afraid of sharks. However, unprovoked shark bites are rare. In 2021, there were only 73 confirmed unprovoked bites worldwide. Each year, only about 10 deaths globally are attributed to sharks. Despite this, it's reasonable to take precautions to be safe. 

An attorney friend told me about his relay team that swam a race in the Molokai Chanel, in Hawaii. He described the rough water and then, said that “one of our colleagues showed up”. It didn’t take long before I caught on. “You mean a shark?” I asked. “Yes, a 14 foot….” He replied. I didn’t catch the make and model of the shark as I was so amused by his reference to the shark as our colleague.

Although I have done a lot of ocean swimming without any shark encounters in Hawaii, occasionally surfers, boogie boarders and swimmers have been injured and sometimes killed. In order to avoid problems with my colleagues----sharks---I suggest the following tips:

1. Stay out of the water during shark feeding time, early in the morning, early in the evening and at night;
2. Avoid murky water, harbor entrances, channels or steep drop offs, or stream mouths;
3. Don’t wear flashing objects, shiny jewelry or contrasting colors;
4. Don’t carry dead fish or swim near dead fish or animals and stay away from people that are fishing or spear fishing;
5. Don’t touch, provoke or molest any shark;
6. Don’t enter the water with open wounds or if you are bleeding in any way;
7. Don’t splash excessively and keep pets that swim erratically out of the water;
8. Don’t go in the water when sharks are present and if you see a shark, exit the water calmly;
9. If fish or turtles are behaving erratically, a shark may be present and so calmly exit the water;
10. Follow the advice of lifeguards and swim and surf at lifeguarded beaches.

Shark attacks are rare. However, it is a good idea to follow the above safety tips in order to avoid meeting “my colleagues” in the ocean.