Shark encounter.

Divers

Are you planning a diving trip to an area with regular shark sightings? Here are a few tips:

Before a trip

Familiarise yourself with the local conditions. Be honest with yourself, does it have to be a place with large tiger sharks or hammerheads, or is it perhaps better to encounter other, smaller species first?

On site

• Let local dive guides explain the conditions, shark species and behaviour to you.
• Before diving, talk about the shark species you might encounter and how you will approach the animals.
• Plan for contingencies; talk about termination criteria and emergency measures.

You should pay attention to this

• Do not deliberately touch, harass or attract a shark.
• Be aware of the three-dimensional space around you and look around regularly.
• Should a shark be a little more curious, always keep calm, turn with it and stay upright in the water. Avoid unnecessary and hectic movements.
• Always stay with your group and don’t swim away alone.
• Don’t lose the overview when taking photos and videos.

Snorkelling and free diving

Encounters with sharks are very rare, but here are a few tips if you are on holiday in areas where larger species are sometimes found:

• Never travel alone and always be aware of your surroundings.
• Practise your fin stroke to avoid making noise at the surface.
• If a sharkappears, keepvisualcontact and staycalm. Ifyoufeeluncomfortable, swim back toshorewithyourbuddy, but it’sbesttomaintainvisualcontactwiththeshark. Ifthereareboatsnearby, youcan also givethem a signal.

You should pay attention to this

• Find out about currents and wildlife before entering the water.
• Avoid murky waters, as well as morning and evening hours.
• Avoid areas where sharks could be attracted (e.g. by divers, anglers, on jetties where fish waste is thrown into the water or where kitchen waste etc. can end up in the sea, e.g. from safari boats).