Seychelles Publishes Best Practices for Reducing Shark Attacks

The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board, Seychelles Tourism Board and the Seychelles Hotel Association have published the following document for all the Seychelles Hotels, guesthouses and Seychelles self catering properties to publish for our clients.

Best practices: how to reduce the risk of shark attack.

A shark attack is a rare event, despite the fact that millions of people enter the sea each day around the world. There are 50-100 unprovoked attacks each year. Certain countries, including USA, Australia and South Africa, experience more attacks than others. Seychelles is not regarded as a hotspot for shark attacks, so the two fatal shark attacks on Praslin in August 2011 came as a huge shock and surprise.

ADVICE FOR SWIMMERS AND SNORKELERS

The following advice is offered to swimmers and snorkellers in Seychelles to prevent further attacks:

Don’t swim/snorkel alone. Remain in groups as sharks are more likely to attack solitary individuals.  

Avoid swimming/snorkelling at dawn, dusk and at night.  Sharks are most active at these times.

Remain close inshore.  The risk of encountering larger sharks increases with distance from shore; one is also further away from help.

Stay out of the water if bleeding or menstruating.  Sharks can detect, and may be aroused by, very small quantities of blood.

Avoid areas with lots of fishing activity and unusual fish activity. These activities attract sharks. Diving/ feeding sea birds are a good indicator of this.  

Avoid areas with steep drop offs and channels. These areas enable large sharks to access shallow water.

Use beaches with a very gradual slope to the seabed.  The shallow waters may be a deterrent to the inshore movement of large sharks.

Use beaches with fringing reefs and large rock structures.  Although reefs have far more fish (shark food) than sandy bottoms, the rocks can also act as natural barriers to the inshore movement of sharks.

Avoid murky water, flooding river mouths and harbour entrances.  These areas are often frequented by sharks.

Avoid areas where lots of human waste is discarded.  Discarded fish and animal remains attract sharks.  Do not carry bait or food on your person.

Stay away from dead animals in the water or on the water’s edge. Their smell often attracts scavenging sharks. 

Don’t wear shiny jewellery. A Shark may mistake the relfection as a fish. 

Avoid highly contrasting swimwear.  Orange and yellow are regarded as the most risky colours.

Avoid heavy splashing.  A commotion on the surface may attract or arouse a shark.

The presence of dolphins is a false sense of security.  Sharks and dolphins feed on the same prey (fish) and large sharks occasionally feed on dolphins.

Don’t antagonise a shark. 

Seek local advice about shark activity.  Locals, especially the fishermen, know their area best.

ADVICE FOR FISHERMEN

Fishermen also need to be aware that their own activities could pose to the safety of swimmers and snorkellers alike.

Fishermen should heed the following:

Don’t discard fish and other food (animal) remains close to swimming beaches. The smell can attract a shark onshore.  

Don’t fish at popular swimming beaches. Struggling fish attract sharks.

Alert swimmers and snorkellers to any shark sightings.

Alert swimmers and snorkellers to any unusual fish activity.  Sharks are fish feeders and will be attracted to such areas.

ADVICE FOR SCUBA DIVERS

Scuba diving is an extremely safe sport with a very low risk of shark attack.  This is because the large volumes of exhaled air are likely to deter most sharks and this takes place in clear water, with minimal splashing at the surface.  It is not unusual for divers to see sharks, and for experienced divers this can be the highlight of the dive.  For novice divers such an experience can be unsettling.  It is therefore important for the dive leader to brief the group on how to respond in the event of a shark sighting and to reassure the group that some sharks, such as nurse and white tip reef sharks, pose no threat and even the highly aggressive species (bull and tiger) rarely attack. A relaxed group of divers is likely to enjoy a highly rewarding shark experience.

Scuba divers should heed the following:

An aroused shark will swim quickly with jerky movements and will approach very close to the divers.

A curious shark may approach close to the divers but will be swimming slowly.

A disinterested shark will make a single approach and then move away.

Dive in groups or at least pairs.  To dive alone is never wise.

Avoid excessive splashing at the surface.  This may attract sharks.

Descend quickly but calmly.  Look around you during your descent. 

Don’t take fish scraps to feed fish. 

Never touch, trap or harass a shark.  Even a timid shark may bite in self-defence.

Relax and avoid using hands as paddles.  Jerky movements could scare timid sharks (and fish) or arouse potentially aggressive sharks.

Ascend slowly and exit the water quickly and quietly.  Spend minimal time at the surface.       

If a large shark is sighted, the dive leader should respond as follows:

Call the group together; Ensure that all the members remain calm and stationary, Observe the shark's behaviour, eye contact is important, Identify the shark to determine if it is an aggressive species (tiger, bull or great white);

Depending on the shark’s identity/behaviour, remain stationary on the bottom until the shark leaves, then consider aborting the dive.

Geremy Cliff

KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board

Chalets d' Anse Forbans your Seychelles Self Catering Beach Property on Mahe Island.