The fear that most humans feel towards sharks is as old as the shared history with these animals. Most people are convinced that a simple encounter between a diver and a shark will end in a violent attack.
This is absolutely unreal. Of the 310 known shark species, only 9 are related to attacks on humans. In fact, when divers want to dive with sharks, they often spend a lot of time searching for them, which is mostly unsuccessful.
Human encounters with sharks are not as frequent as one might believe, and even in these cases, it would have to involve one of the aggressive species, large enough to risk attacking a person, and with a real motive (hunger, territorialism) justifying such an attack. Why would they go after such a large and unfamiliar animal when there are plenty of smaller prey available? Truly, there are too many conditions that would have to align simultaneously.
Statistics support this understanding of reality. In the United States, in just the 1990s, 180 people died from dog attacks, while in the same period, only four people died from shark attacks. In the same country, over a span of 44 years, from 1959 to 2003, 22 people died as a result of shark attacks, but during that same period, 1857 people died from being struck by lightning. Therefore, it can be said that the likelihood of being struck by lightning is much higher than being attacked by a shark.
The sharks we usually see on television are animals that have been stimulated with blood to make them appear aggressive, biting divers’ cages or sticking their heads out of the water desperately searching for something to bite. The sharks we see while diving in the depths of the ocean are entirely different. They are slow and tranquil creatures, possessing a beautiful streamlined form as they move through the reef with graceful movements. They often completely ignore us as we pass by, but make it absolutely clear that they are the owners of the place. They exude that typical air of superiority that the most powerful possess. It is evident to all divers that we are in the presence of one of the most beautiful creatures of the deep, but also that we are in the presence of «the boss,» and it would not be wise to disturb them.
Too complicated to keep alive in captivity, absolutely untamable, strong and resilient. Hated as much as they are feared. Sharks roam the ocean floor, surrounded by an aura of mysticism and mystery. Only those who have seen them pass by can recognize that they are one of the most beautiful and sophisticated animals of the sea. Thirty years ago, we had to assure divers that there were no sharks in the area to encourage them to dive. Today, it is the divers themselves who search for them among the rocks of the reefs, confident that if they manage to spot them, it will be the harbinger of a great day.
«You cannot defend what you do not love, and you cannot love what you do not know.»