Dive Pacific Iss 171 Oct- Nov 2019
New Zealand's dive magazine featuring in this issue: Shooting big sharks, up close; Spearfishing at night!; Remembering a great Kiwi dive pioneer, Wade Doak; Forgotten Vanuatu wreck's claim to fame; The invasive Lionfish - in depth, plus all our expert columnists
New Zealand's dive magazine featuring in this issue: Shooting big sharks, up close; Spearfishing at night!; Remembering a great Kiwi dive pioneer, Wade Doak; Forgotten Vanuatu wreck's claim to fame; The invasive Lionfish - in depth, plus all our expert columnists
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Rush hour<br />
properly, stay focused, and work<br />
with the right people.<br />
Yes but how dangerous are<br />
they?<br />
People tend to get very opinionated<br />
on whether sharks are dangerous<br />
or not. They seem to fall into very<br />
polarized camps: those who think<br />
sharks are all mindless man-eaters<br />
out to get us, or at the other end of<br />
the spectrum, those who believe<br />
all sharks are safe to swim with.<br />
I think the reality is somewhere<br />
in between; sharks are potentially<br />
dangerous predators that deserve<br />
respect, but in general are not<br />
likely to pose a problem unless<br />
you put yourself in a risky situation,<br />
ie diving in low light or poor<br />
visibility in areas frequented by<br />
large sharks; diving in sharky areas<br />
without local knowledge; diving<br />
alone or out of your comfort zone;<br />
or not giving sharks the<br />
respect they demand.<br />
Obviously diving with shark<br />
species that hunt large prey like<br />
seals, turtles and game fish pose<br />
significantly more potential risk<br />
than diving with smaller reef<br />
sharks. However all sharks are<br />
opportunistic and if you don’t<br />
maintain regular eye contact or<br />
let your attention wander, they<br />
are instantly aware and will take<br />
advantage of your inattention.<br />
Blue sharks fighting<br />
…sharks are opportunistic and if you don’t maintain<br />
regular eye contact or let your attention wander, they<br />
are instantly aware and will take advantage…<br />
A huge 5.5M female White shark<br />
34 <strong>Dive</strong> New Zealand | <strong>Dive</strong> <strong>Pacific</strong>