Shark Expert Shares Survival Tips to Newbie Fishermen After 2 Attacks Were Reported

There have been multiple reports about shark attacks lately. One shark expert shared survival tips for spearfishing or catching sharks.

Survival Tips to Avoid Shark Attacks

Two shark attacks had been reported in two days, prompting Catherine Macdonald, the Director of Shark Research and Conservation at the University of Miami, to share some tips to keep new fishermen safe in the water.

The shark expert said while speaking on CBS to "limit the amount of blood" leaking into the water.

According to Macdonald, it doesn't surprise her when people go fishing, spearfishing, handle sharks, catch sharks, or kill fish in ways that attract sharks. She stressed that one should keep the fish away from themselves, reduce the amount of blood put in the water, and minimize the amount of fight the fish goes through, Daily Star reported.

For those swimming in the ocean, she recommends sticking with larger groups. She also recommended being in relatively shallow, clear water, particularly at times of day when sharks might not be actively hunting. According to her, some shark species are most active at dawn and dusk.

In a previous report from Science Times, Robert Harcourt, an Honorary Professor of Marine Ecology at Macquarie University and a regular surfer, warned swimmers against swimming with dolphins. There's a myth that sharks and dolphins avoid each other. Thus, some believe that sharks are away when they are around dolphins.

However, he busted the urban myth and argued that it was untrue. The professor pointed out that bull sharks and great whites frequently eat the same fish as bottlenose dolphins, widespread near the Australian coast. They are also capable of becoming prey. Harcourt forewarned that sharks are likely nearby, dining on the same school of fish when dolphins move quickly and change directions, which indicates that they are feeding.

ALSO READ: Bottlenose Dolphins, Humans Work Together To Catch Migrating Mullet in Brazil

Multiple Shark Attacks Reported

Sharks attacked two men in two separate chilling incidents. Fortunately, Kevin Blanco, 20, and a 35-year-old man survived following their close encounters with the apex predator.

Blanco spoke about the attack while recovering in Jackson Memorial Hospital. He likened the incident to being hit by a truck.

According to Blanco, he could not remember the pain but could still recall the pressure and force when the shark hit his leg. He said it felt like an F-150 was hitting him. He felt the pressure of slowly closing on his leg, and everything was in slow motion.

Aside from the two attacks above, a 15-year-old girl suffered injuries when a shark attacked her while surfing off the coast of New Jersey over the weekend.

The teenager from Pennsylvania surfed for the first time in Stone Harbor when the beast attacked her. She was rushed to the hospital, Daily Star reported.

The emergency team rescued her from the water before being transported to a nearby hospital. Following the attack, she suffered cuts to her foot and calf, requiring six stitches. She is safe, and the injuries she got were not life-threatening.

Officials were still unsure what type of shark attacked the girl and how big it was.