AlohaPride Posted October 14, 2013 #26 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Ok, Certified Dive Master and Shark Awareness Instructor checking in: Could you suffer a shark attack in the water----Yep it happens a few times every year. Your ship could also catch on fire,sink, or you could fall overboard.You could fall down the stairs onboard. Being the victim of a fatal shark attack has about the same odds of winning Powerball !!!!! More people are killed by vending machines falling on them every year than by shark attack. I don't go around fearing Coke machines. More people die by coconuts falling and hitting them in the head than by shark attack every year. I ain't scared to much by trees on the beach. Divers pay Big Money to see and interact with sharks. Consider it a very special treat if you see one snorkeling. In the Bahamas and Grand Turk you could certainly encounter a Caribbean reef Shark on the walls.Nurse Sharks are very common on the reefs.I RESPECT sharks but I have never had a shark threaten me and I have intereacted with many of them while diving. The simple fact is that Man is far more dangerous to sharks than sharks are to man. We kill millions of sharks every year (shark fin soup,etc). When the apex predator disappers the reefs and oceans suffer greatly.The end result is a very unhealthy marine enviroment. Please,get out and enjoy the beautiful reefs.The snorkeling is fantastic.If you are lucky enough to see a shark, stop and admire one of nature's most fascinating creatures. Hope this helps. Thank you! As a side note, the state of Hawaii actually has a state AND county budget to cut the coconut from our trees to reduce the risk of one falling on you because it IS a true risk ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toad Posted October 15, 2013 #27 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Shark attack here on Cape Cod last year, but still tons of people swimming, don't worry it will all be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goleta Posted October 15, 2013 #28 Share Posted October 15, 2013 What I have found is when I would be SCUBA diving or snorkeling that my field of vision is not that great. The mask cuts down on your vision from the side. For me it was more like a little tunnel vision. So, I would miss seeing some this from the side. There are face masks with clear sides. I use that kind as I do want to see what is along side of me!:p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare geoherb Posted October 15, 2013 #29 Share Posted October 15, 2013 We've enjoyed snorkeling excursions to St. John while our ship was docked in St. Thomas. We also had enough time on one cruise to go to St. John on our own (taking the ferry from Red Hook). The beach (Cinnamon) we went to there did not have great snorkeling. Snorkeling at the private island isn't great. Ironically, that is the only time I've seen a shark--but it was at Royal Caribbean's Coco Cay, which is a good distance away from Half Moon Cay. According to the snorkeling guides, what I saw was probably a harmless nurse shark. It looked huge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geocruiser Posted October 15, 2013 #30 Share Posted October 15, 2013 There are face masks with clear sides. I use that kind as I do want to see what is along side of me!:p I did my diving in the 1980's. At that time I don't recall seeing clear sided mask. When did they start with them. My diving days are over for a while so I have not been a dive shop for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowPrincess Posted October 15, 2013 #31 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Sharks terrify me. Having said that, it is jellyfish that worry me most. Hard to see, and some can be pretty darn toxic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckles83 Posted October 16, 2013 #32 Share Posted October 16, 2013 on my first cruise (ss norway, ncl) we took a catamaran to st john and did snorkeling. i was so busy looking off into the distance for incoming sharks :rolleyes:, that i missed a little jellyfish hovering in front of my face. i was stung and basically looked like the elephant man for the rest of my cruise. i think it happened on like the 3rd day of a 7day cruise if i remember correctly. my face took weeks for the swelling to go down. it was pretty upsetting. by the end of the cruise i had almost resigned my life to being permanently mutilated by that little sucker. so ya i have to agree with cow princess. eff you jelly fish :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlohaPride Posted October 16, 2013 #33 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Oh my gosh! Portuguese Man-of-War are awful!! There is a beach here I refuse to swim at or even go to because I've literally been stung every.single.time I've gone there. The last time left me scarred for almost a year. I hate hate hate jellyfish! I won't go near the water 9-11 days after a full moon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igraf Posted October 27, 2013 #34 Share Posted October 27, 2013 We just returned home from Maui, and there were two shark attacks in Hawaii (Kauai and Maui) during our stay. Fortunately, the injuries were minor though the Kauai surfer had to fight for his life, literally with his fists. Having said that, we did go swimming and snorkeling during our stay in the Makena/Wailea area as we usually do. Needless to say, we did not venture out very far from shore and stayed near other people. Everybody that we spoke to was very concerned about the shark situation. We still managed to see a turtle, though. :-) igraf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwesq Posted October 28, 2013 #35 Share Posted October 28, 2013 Sharks really have a bad rep. Most of them are quite docile, and they don't like the taste of human meat. One bite & they'll say "FEH!" :-) Seriously though, the odds of being bitten by a shark are extremely slim - and you are more likely to have an accident getting to your cruise than you are to get bit while snorkeling. I have gotten to know & love The Shark Lady very well - and she used to keep sharks in her backyard, and her kids would have birthday parties where 9 year olds swam with the sharks. I swam with them in the Galapagos - very exciting. Now if you're a Seal Lion - then I'd worry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FL..NC Posted October 28, 2013 #36 Share Posted October 28, 2013 Going to the Galapagos in Jan. what kind of sharks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igraf Posted October 28, 2013 #37 Share Posted October 28, 2013 Tiger sharks have a well deserved reputation as man-killers, and that one bite can easily mean the loss of a limb or at least a severed artery. The "one bite" on the german girl off of Maui this summer left only a bone sticking out of her shoulder. The odds of an attack can actually be very high in some areas. igraf Sharks really have a bad rep. Most of them are quite docile, and they don't like the taste of human meat. One bite & they'll say "FEH!" :-) Seriously though, the odds of being bitten by a shark are extremely slim - and you are more likely to have an accident getting to your cruise than you are to get bit while snorkeling. I have gotten to know & love The Shark Lady very well - and she used to keep sharks in her backyard, and her kids would have birthday parties where 9 year olds swam with the sharks. I swam with them in the Galapagos - very exciting. Now if you're a Seal Lion - then I'd worry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwesq Posted October 28, 2013 #38 Share Posted October 28, 2013 Going to the Galapagos in Jan. what kind of sharks? Galapagos sharks, and White Tips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igraf Posted December 3, 2013 #39 Share Posted December 3, 2013 (edited) The shark attacks continue on Maui at an alarming rate. The two attacks described below happened since we visited Maui just this last October, and we snorkeled in the ocean at both attack locations! News quote (02DEC2013): "A Kihei resident who was at the boat ramp Monday morning said that she heard people who disembarked from the snorkel boat saying that the man's leg "was all bone with the foot off." The woman did not want to be identified. They said that the victim was fishing in his kayak and that his friend found the man and applied a tourniquet, she said. The friend tied the boats together and took them to the nearby snorkel boat. The woman said she observed the boat coming to the boat ramp and people bringing the body off the boat. [The man died on the way to the shore.] Monday's shark attack was the second off South Maui in three days. A woman was bitten by a shark while snorkeling off Keawakapu Beach on Friday afternoon. She suffered leg injuries but survived the attack. This would be the eighth shark attack reported off Maui this year, according to DLNR. It also would be the second fatal attack in three months, with the other one occurring off Palauea Beach in Makena in August. Jana Lutteropp, a 20-year-old German visitor, died in the hospital days after her right arm was bitten off by a shark." Posted so that you can make an informed decision when you go snorkeling. The article goes on to say that the Maui officials are basically hoping that the shark problem goes away without any action on their part.... igraf We just returned home from Maui, and there were two shark attacks in Hawaii (Kauai and Maui) during our stay. Fortunately, the injuries were minor though the Kauai surfer had to fight for his life, literally with his fists. Having said that, we did go swimming and snorkeling during our stay in the Makena/Wailea area as we usually do. Needless to say, we did not venture out very far from shore and stayed near other people. Everybody that we spoke to was very concerned about the shark situation. We still managed to see a turtle, though. :-) igraf Edited December 3, 2013 by igraf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeeGee Cruiser Posted December 3, 2013 #40 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Last year I took the snorkelling tour off of Grand Turk. The catamaran sailed about a mile or so from the cruise port and tied up to a buoy. There were plenty of fish of all species swimming around. We stayed there for about an hour and then moved to another location. Here the dive master told everyone that there would be nurse sharks and one of his crew would go down and feed them. Sure enough in about ten feet of water were two sharks, which he proceeded to feed. The more adventurous divers went down to feed and touch them. The two sharks were about 4 feet long. The whole dive experience was well worth the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
existentialtraveler Posted December 3, 2013 #41 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Hello. My husband and I have been on 3 cruises now and love the Caribbean. We have booked a cruise for the first time including our four children. Our 2 teenagers are much more adventurous than we are and would like to go on a snorkelling excursion. This may sound funny to most but my husband is terrified of sharks! (I must admit to being a bit nervous as well!!)We have gone in the water in Grand Turk as well as Half Moon Cay but stay close to shore. I know we are in the minority but is it likely we will see a shark? How safe would snorkelling be for our 9 year old who isn't as adventurous but wants to do everything her 3 big brothers do?? Is there a better island to go in? (we will be in St Thomas, Grand Turk, San Juan, and Half Moon Cay) Can anyone recommend a Holland America Snorkelling Excursion they really enjoyed? Any helpful stories or advise is welcome!!! We are hoping to overcome our fears so the kids can do more than island tours!!! (but I do love the island tours!!!)Thanks in advance!!! It is a statistical fact that more people are injured and die from falling coconuts than from shark attacks.I have been in the water with sharks many many time. I have petted them. I have turned sharks upside down and put them to sleep. Some sharks, when turned upside down, instantly fall asleep. I still have all my arms and legs and fingers and toes. You have nothing to fear. Except falling coconuts. Beware of falling cocnuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirkNC Posted December 3, 2013 #42 Share Posted December 3, 2013 It is a statistical fact that more people are injured and die from falling coconuts than from shark attacks.I have been in the water with sharks many many time. I have petted them. I have turned sharks upside down and put them to sleep. Some sharks, when turned upside down, instantly fall asleep. I still have all my arms and legs and fingers and toes. You have nothing to fear. Except falling coconuts. Beware of falling cocnuts. True, I am a certified Divemaster and have logged over 1,000 hours scuba diving and snorkeling. We have seen sharks many times but have never even come close to having a problem with them. It is the fear that is the problem for some, like FDR said, the only ing to fear is fear itself :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare puppycanducruise Posted December 3, 2013 #43 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Okay, this isn't about snorkeling, but it is about sharks. Recently, a couple of men in Newfoundland saw what they thought was a beached whale. Upon further investigation, they found a Greenland shark with a hunk of moose stuck in its throat, choking it. So the men, pulled the chunk of moose out of the shark, and pushed the shark back towards the open water, and it swam away! I thought it was an interesting news item. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsMolly Posted December 3, 2013 Author #44 Share Posted December 3, 2013 (edited) It is a statistical fact that more people are injured and die from falling coconuts than from shark attacks.I have been in the water with sharks many many time. I have petted them. I have turned sharks upside down and put them to sleep. Some sharks, when turned upside down, instantly fall asleep. I still have all my arms and legs and fingers and toes. You have nothing to fear. Except falling coconuts. Beware of falling cocnuts. Haha!!!! I will make sure we watch out for coconuts!!! Edited December 3, 2013 by MsMolly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igraf Posted December 3, 2013 #45 Share Posted December 3, 2013 (edited) Yawn. Such shark handling stunts are done with docile shark species. Perhaps you could be more forthcoming and admit that you did not do that with the large hungry tiger sharks that are killing people off of Maui. It is well known on the islands that coconut trees are very dangerous. Are you saying that it is OK to snorkel with tiger sharks and that I have nothing to fear? Really? igraf It is a statistical fact that more people are injured and die from falling coconuts than from shark attacks.I have been in the water with sharks many many time. I have petted them. I have turned sharks upside down and put them to sleep. Some sharks, when turned upside down, instantly fall asleep. I still have all my arms and legs and fingers and toes. You have nothing to fear. Except falling coconuts. Beware of falling cocnuts. Edited December 3, 2013 by igraf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fouremco Posted December 3, 2013 #46 Share Posted December 3, 2013 OP, my daughter, now in her mid-thirties, has always been afraid of spiders. It doesn't matter how many rational explanations she's given, she's simply deadly afraid of them. Ocean swimming, however, doesn't phase her in the slightest. A diver and snorkeler, I've no fear of sharks and, like many here, could provide your husband all sorts of sound reasons why he shouldn't worry. But as in my daughter's case, that might be a waste of time. Perhaps you should change the focus to getting him to let the teenagers go snorkeling while he remains safely ashore or aboard a snorkeling excursion boat. Maybe in time he'll realize that everyone else is having fun and no one is being ravaged by crazed sharks. Just make sure that he doesn't watch reruns of Jaws! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seavoyage Posted December 3, 2013 #47 Share Posted December 3, 2013 We were at HMC last year and saw a baby shark and I also heard someone came face to face with with a barracuda... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igraf Posted December 3, 2013 #48 Share Posted December 3, 2013 On a whim I googled "killed" and "coconut". Actual deaths by falling coconuts turns out to be a widespread exaggeration and has become an urban legend: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_by_coconut Nevertheless, I will avoid sitting under coconut trees and swimming with tiger sharks. igraf It is a statistical fact that more people are injured and die from falling coconuts than from shark attacks.I have been in the water with sharks many many time. I have petted them. I have turned sharks upside down and put them to sleep. Some sharks, when turned upside down, instantly fall asleep. I still have all my arms and legs and fingers and toes. You have nothing to fear. Except falling coconuts. Beware of falling cocnuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
existentialtraveler Posted December 3, 2013 #49 Share Posted December 3, 2013 (edited) Yawn. Such shark handling stunts are done with docile shark species. Perhaps you could be more forthcoming and admit that you did not do that with the large hungry tiger sharks that are killing people off of Maui. It is well known on the islands that coconut trees are very dangerous. Are you saying that it is OK to snorkel with tiger sharks and that I have nothing to fear? Really? igraf I have dived with tiger sharks and great whites. Yawn all you like. Admit that you did not read what I wrote. I specified SOME SHARKS....and No..I am not saying you should not be afraid. I think YOU should be afraid. It is okay for you to be afraid of the dark as well. Edited December 3, 2013 by existentialtraveler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
existentialtraveler Posted December 3, 2013 #50 Share Posted December 3, 2013 On a whim I googled "killed" and "coconut". Actual deaths by falling coconuts turns out to be a widespread exaggeration and has become an urban legend: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_by_coconut Nevertheless, I will avoid sitting under coconut trees and swimming with tiger sharks. igraf Well, if you googled it, it has to be true!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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