Shark diver explains why you shouldn't swim away if you come face to face with one

Survival instincts are ironically something that not everybody has.

We often base our decisions on emotions like fear and understandably, we get a little jumpy at the first sign of danger.

Case in point - you're swimming in the ocean and you see a shark is following behind you.

The natural response would be kick hard and swim away as fast as you can.

That's if freezing in fear and becoming shark chow isn't an option.

A professional shark diver took to TikTok to share her strategy to remaining uneaten in this scenario, and what she advises may surprise you.

Video footage showed a Tiger Shark as it followed behind her, gaining speed as it drew nearer.

TikToker Andriana_marine narrated: "Your first instinct is probably going to be to swim away as fast as possible.

"This is a natural response that most people would have to this type of situation.

"But at the end of the day, no matter how fast you swim, the sharks will be faster."

Well, isn't that a terrifying thought?

No deep sea diving for me.

Andriana continued: "When you swim away from a shark, it actually triggers a predatory response in them, making them think that you're prey.

"So despite your natural instinct to run away, the best thing to do is to stand your ground, make eye contact with the shark, remain calm."

The shark is then seen drawing uncomfortably close to Andriana.

At this point, I think most people would give up the 'stay calm' approach.

But Andriana, being the pro she is, demonstrated how to act in this situation.

She said: "If the shark continues to approach you, you can use your fin or any other object you have to create some space if you can.

"And if that doesn't work, you're going to push down firmly on the top of their head."

Oh yeah, because that's what I think to do - put my limbs near the shark's mouth.

But, it does work and Andriana explained why: "She pushes harder into my hand, rolling up above me so you can see my hand underneath her stomach to guide her away."

I'll take her word for it, because I certainly don't want the opportunity to try this out in real life.

And going off the comment section, it seems I'm not alone.

One person commented: "No need to worry, I'll die of a heart attack before the shark gets to me."

Another wrote: "First step: don't swim in the ocean."

Pretty much.

Featured Image Credit: TikTok/andriana_marine

Topics: Animals, TikTok, Sharks

Ben Thompson