Ever since Jaws hit the big screen, people around the world have been terrified of going into the water. Well, an expert has shown exactly what to do if you're approached by a shark. Have a look:
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Kayleigh Grant is an expert scuba diver and regularly shares videos of her swimming around with tiger sharks.
And in one of her recent posts, she shared some advice about what to do if you ever come up against one of these powerful creatures in the sea.
Now, before we go any further, it should be noted that Kayleigh and her team are professionals, and she makes it clear that you shouldn't go around bothering sharks. She also states clearly that different species can react in different ways.
So, you have been warned.
However, in the video, one of her colleagues shows why you shouldn't ever thrash around in the water if you see a shark coming for you.
She says: "Andy is demonstrating why we do not want to splash and swim away from sharks.
"Splashing and swimming away imitates what prey does. When we're dealing with top predators like sharks, we also want to act like a predator."
Andy can then be seen turning around to face the shark, looking directly in its eyes as it comes towards her from the distance.
Kayleigh says: "So what you actually want to do is not splash, turnaround, face the animal and maintain eye contact.
"With tiger sharks, you can place your hand on the top of their head, push down gently and that will redirect them away from you."
In another post, Kayleigh explains that for a lot of sharks it's useful to try and get something in between you and it and usher it away.
In the video, a diver can be seen using a large camera to encourage the shark to go in a different direction.
If that's not available, Kayleigh says fins can also be used to deter an oncoming shark - though she points out that this probably wouldn't work for larger sharks.
Speaking to LADbible, Kayleigh said sharks are not as dangerous as people often think and are mostly not bothered about humans at all.
However, she said it's not advised to approach one as they are, after all, incredibly powerful predators.
She said: "Sharks aren’t man eating monsters like movies and the media portrays, and they are generally uninterested in humans.
"If you do ever find yourself being approached by a shark, this video demonstrates what you can do.
"To purposely swim with sharks we recommend always going with a trained guide to interact with these animals."
Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@mermaid.Kayleigh/@andriana_marine
Topics: Animals, US News, World News
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