Noted Underwater Photographer, Andre Musgrove gave his take on shark encounters in the wake of the latest shark attack which resulted in the death of an American woman in waters near Sandals Royal Bahamian earlier this month.
Musgrove told ZNS the way sharks are depicted in movies and TV shows is not true. He also said, “most people think that going out and killing sharks and trying reduce their numbers will affect having less incidents but less incidents negative or seeing sharks which it may in the very long run but by the time you realize that you would have done so much damage to the marine ecosystem that it will be very difficult for that to bounce back.”
Musgrove also admonished those going into the ocean that they are heading into a wild domain. ”You need to be aware of what’s the etiquette in that area. If necessary if you’re an avid swimmer make sure have somebody watching you. Don’t swim in the ocean at sunset or sunrise, those are prime hours for sharks to go hunting. Splashing and panicking in the water, anything that resembles a dying fish or a dying marine animal in the water would reduce your chances of trying a shark.”
The photographer says most of the information being discussed is incorrect. He said, “order for us to overcome this fear of sharks, this fear of the ocean, this fear of not being able to swim or go in water to deep to stand you need to educate yourselves on the animal and on the ocean. Go with experienced people who your trust. Look for resources for information that you can learn more about shark behaviour.”
