Swimming Away From Shark Is More Dangerous Than Facing It, Diving Expert Claims

A diving expert shared survival tips when one finds themselves face to face with a shark. It's reportedly more dangerous to swim away than face it.

Why Swimming Away From Shark Is Deadly?

Most tend to swim away and keep their distance from a shark when they find themselves in close contact with the apex predator. However, surprisingly, it's reportedly wiser to stand your ground.

Kayleigh Nicole Grant, founder of an ocean safari company, demonstrated that it's preferable to confront the shark, maintain your ground, and gently push the terrifying animal away if it continues to approach you.

She shared a video on TikTok of her while swimming in the ocean. The clip showed a shark swimming after her while she swam away from it. However, she also demonstrated how unexpectedly simple it was to confront a shark and gently reroute it by stopping and making eye contact before pushing the shark in another direction.

@mermaid.kayleigh Sharks have natural instincts and splashing, panicking, and swimming away from them can trigger their prey drive. It’s better to stay calm, stand your ground, make eye contact, and if necessary push them away. #tigershark #savesharks #sharkdiver #sharkdiving #ocean ♬ MONACO - Bad Bunny

"If you panic and swim away from sharks. They will likely continue to follow you due to their prey drive," Grant said.

Instead, the expert suggests " standing your ground" and making eye contact with the shark before pushing it away, if necessary.

The post received mixed responses from netizens, with many wondering if the strategy would also work for great white sharks. Another jokingly asked if it would be as effective in megalodon, which became extinct 3.6 million years ago.

Another netizen claimed that sharks fear rejection and get embarrassed if one says "no" to them. Another jokingly added that sharks understand "no" better than humans do.

Shark expert Catherine Macdonald, Director of Shark Research and Conservation at the University of Miami, recommends swimming in larger groups and staying in shallow, clear water. She also suggests hitting the water at times of the day when sharks are not actively hunting, reminding the public that the apex predators are most active at dawn and dusk.

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Shark Attacks

A tiger shark, shown in the clip, can be aggressive, too. Scott Haraguchi was fishing in his kayak in Hawaii when a massive tiger shark attacked him. His GoPro captured the harrowing encounter.

Haraguchi claimed to have heard a whooshing noise like a boat without a motor approaching him. He spotted something large and brown when he looked up. He initially believed it to be a turtle. But as soon as it struck him, he understood it was a tiger shark.

Riding high on adrenaline, he continued fishing. Upon seeing the footage at home, he was taken aback by the tiger shark's enormous size.

It is still unknown why the shark attacked him. But since he noticed an injured seal nearby, he speculated that the shark might have confused his kayak for the wounded animal.

According to trackingsharks.com, as of Nov. 18 of last month, there have been 76 publicly recorded and verified shark attack bites in 2023 - about 20 more than the total number of shark attacks in 2022. Only 10 of the 76 attacks this year resulted in fatalities, and nine of those instances were purportedly provoked.