What is the first thing you would do if you found yourself face-to-face with a shark while swimming? For most people, the instinct would be to flee immediately. However, a professional diver with a masters degree in marine conservation biology has revealed that this natural reaction is potentially the most dangerous course of action you could take.
The Instinct That Could Get You Hurt
Andriana_Marine, a diver and educator with over half a million Instagram followers, recently used her platform to debunk a common and potentially fatal myth about shark encounters. The widespread belief that you should swim away as fast as possible is incorrect. In a real-life demonstration video, she showed that frantic splashing and attempting to escape mimics the behaviour of injured prey in the ocean.
She explained the critical reasoning behind this: "If you see a shark never splash and run away. This makes you look like injured prey. This will cause the shark to follow and chase you, hoping that you are an easy food source." No human, regardless of their swimming ability, can outswim a powerful predator like a tiger shark, bull shark, or Great White in its own environment.
How to Act Like a Predator, Not Prey
So, what should you do instead? The counterintuitive but life-saving advice is to stand your ground. Instead of turning your back and fleeing, you should turn and face the shark directly.
Andriana's key instructions are to make eye contact and remain calm. This projects confidence and makes you appear as a fellow predator, rather than a vulnerable animal. If the shark continues to approach, she demonstrates a specific physical technique: "If necessary, push down on the top of the shark's head, following through to ensure they do not turn back."
In her video, after she applied this method, the tiger shark promptly turned away, showing no further interest. This powerful visual evidence supports her claim that this is an effective way to deter an inquisitive shark.
The Final, Crucial Step for Safety
After successfully deterring the shark, your actions are still vital for your ultimate safety. Andriana concluded her demonstration with what she describes as perhaps the most crucial piece of advice.
She stated clearly: "Exit the water as calmly and quickly as possible." This means you should not let your guard down and linger. While you must avoid any appearance of panic, you should make a steady but swift retreat to dry land. It is important to remember that while shark attacks are incredibly rare, knowing how to behave during an encounter significantly reduces an already minimal risk.
