Sharks abroad and while traveling: are they dangerous, where do you encounter them, where can you see them?

What are sharks?

• Sharks are large cartilaginous fish. Thanks to many films and horror stories, sharks have a bad name, but they are really not as scary as people always make them out to be and there are only a few species that are sometimes dangerous.
• Sharks are on average 1 to 2 metres long. The smallest sharks are less than 20 cm long, the largest sharks can be longer than 12 metres.
• Sharks are found worldwide in all seas and oceans, except at the North and South Poles.
• Sharks have been on earth for hundreds of millions of years. Today there are more than 400 species of sharks.

What is a great white shark?

• A white shark can be recognised by a black or dark grey upper side and a white underside.
• There are black spots on the underside of the pectoral fins and a conspicuous black spot at the attachment to the body. They prefer cold waters near the coast, but can also be found at depths of over a thousand metres.
• They are very social animals and often swim in groups of ten or more sharks.
• The white shark is semi-warm-blooded, which means that it can swim very fast, but also that it has poor endurance.
• In response to this, the white shark uses different swimming and behavioural patterns to investigate its potential prey.

Where can you see sharks from a boat?

• South Africa: at Cape Town and Gansbaai you can take tours to see the great white shark (from a boat or in a cage).
• England: basking sharks can be seen from a boat in Scotland and southern England.

Where can you see sharks well when snorkelling?

• Bahamas: at Bimini you can snorkel with hammerheads and reef sharks, and at Cat Island with the harmless but very curious whitetip shark. Cuba: at Jardines de la Reina National Park you can swim with ten different shark species in a protected area.
• England: near Cornwall and in Scotland, you can swim with basking sharks and blue sharks in the summer.
• Philippines: on Cebu you can snorkel with whale sharks... and with half of Japan.
• French Polynesia: on Moorea Island you can swim with the blacktip reef shark, whitetip reef shark, the gray shark and even the tiger shark.
• Maldives: for example at the South Ari, Huvadhoo or the Thaa Atoll for whale sharks, or at Alimatha Island for fairly tame nurse sharks.
• Malaysia: if you are lucky enough to snorkel at Sipadan, you will see the sharks and turtles swimming back and forth at the edge of the reef. Mexico: at Isla Mujeres you can snorkel with the whale sharks, at Guadalupe Island you can snorkel with yourself in a cage while the great white shark curiously comes to see on the other side of the bars whether the bars are thick enough.
• Mozambique: at Inhambane you can see whale sharks if you are at this beautiful place in the right season.
• Seychelles: whale sharks at South Mahe.
• Tanzania: whale sharks at Mafia Island.
• South Africa: at Cape Point you can snorkel with blue and mako sharks, at Seal Island with the spotted sevengill shark.

Where is the best place to dive with sharks?

• Australia: at Fish Rock Cave in New South Wales for many gray nurse sharks.
• Bahamas: at Tiger Beach for the tiger shark, Cat Islands for the reef sharks.
• Belize: on the Belize Barrier Reef.
• Costa Rica: hammerhead sharks at Cocos Island.
• Ecuador: the Galapagos Islands for viewing hundreds of hammerhead sharks.
• Fiji: Beqa Lagoon for mainly bull sharks, but there are also nurse sharks, lemon sharks, whitetip and blacktip reef sharks, grey sharks and the occasional tiger shark.
• Philippines: at Monad Shoal on Malapascua for the thresher shark.
• French Polynesia
  • at Moorea for the blacktip reef shark.
  • at Rangiroa for the large hammerhead sharks and grey reef sharks.
• Indonesia: Raja Ampat (Cenderawasih Bay) near West Papau for the whale shark, among others.
• Maldives: Maaya Thila for hammerhead sharks and many reef sharks.
• Malaysia: Sipidan for reef sharks and hundreds of barracudas, and the Perhentians for sand sharks and reef sharks.
• Palau: almost all tropical shark species can be found around Palau. United States of America: including blue sharks near Rhode Island.

What are the most dangerous types of sharks?

• Most sharks are not dangerous to humans! The most dangerous sharks are the white shark, tiger shark and bull shark, but even attacks from these species are rare.

How dangerous is the great white shark?

• The great white shark is known as one of the most dangerous shark species. The white shark generally bites people only because it is curious and explores terrain in this way. Unfortunately, this method of research sometimes leads to a fatal end for the research subject…
• The prey they prefer depends on several things, such as the season and their size. Small white sharks mainly feed on fish, while the larger ones can devour a seal or even a small whale.

When does a shark become dangerous and should you be careful?

• If a shark rolls its eyes, the shark follows an object with its eyes, without moving its head or body; you have been spotted!
• If you notice that a shark lowers its pectoral fins or opens its mouth without protruding its front jaw and holds this position for a fraction or several seconds, it should be considered dangerous.
• If the shark protrudes its upper jaw, the shark makes a biting movement; If you are bleeding yourself, you don't necessarily have to worry anymore, sharks don't react to human blood or your scent.
• Divers who are spearfishing and have struggling and bleeding fish on their spears are at greater risk.
• What should you do if you are going to swim or dive in an area where sharks are present?
• Find out about the type of sharks and the behavior of the sharks in the area. Most locals can tell you in which season and which sharks you should watch out for.
• Do not swim or dive in an area where the river flows out, that is the shark's hunting ground.
• Dive, swim and surf in groups as much as possible.
• Wear dark clothing, and no white, yellow or neon swimwear, this is more noticeable to sharks because of the way they look.
• Do take a snorkel or diving mask with you and preferably fins as well.
• Stay alert, show that you can see everything. Sharks wait until they see a weak spot in an animal before they approach, and are slower to approach if they think the other is alert or also a predator.
• Realize that there are thousands of sharks per day that come near a diver, surfer or swimmer every day, without giving them a second glance. However, if you do come across that one shark that does seem interested in you, stick to the most important rules of the game.
• Most rules apply more to divers and snorkelers than to swimmers and surfers.

What should you do if you encounter a shark in the water?

• Remain as calm as possible and behave as much as possible like a predator and not like a prey.
• Try to hide your fear, sharks can feel fear and prey can feel fear.
• Keep looking at the shark. As is often the case with other predators, sharks then assume that you are probably a predator too. Only other predators dare to enter into a confrontation. So keep looking at the shark with the same stern look you put on when you go to your mother-in-law.
• Do not hit the shark when it comes close, do not splash, only weak and injured animals do that.
• Do not chase a shark or swim towards a shark.
• Do not try to swim away quickly, but swim calmly backwards towards a reef or boat. Swim as regularly as possible.
• Stay as vertical as possible in the water.
• Keep space between you and the shark, use your fins to 'push' water towards the shark, this can cause them to turn away. If you want to push a shark away, do so with your fin, camera or an aluminum shark stick.

Where can you work, volunteer or do an internship with sharks?

• Volunteer or Internship with Great White Shark: South Africa (Cape Town)
• Volunteer or Internship with Whale Shark: Belize, England, Indonesia (Raja Ampa), Madagascar, Mozambique, and Tanzania (Mafia Island)
• Volunteer or Internship with Reef Sharks: Malaysia (Perhentians)
• Other shark conservation projects can be found in the Seychelles and Fiji
• During projects that focus on whales and sea turtles, you often have the chance to see sharks or help protect them.