You never know when you will come face to face with a blood hungry killing machine. It could be a relaxing day on a boat and you decide to go for a swim. Little do you know that the open cut on your leg has been dripping blood into the water. Because of a shark’s powerful sense of smell, it’s able to detect where its prey is. If it’s hungry enough it won’t mind eating a human, trust me.

We’ve all seen movies where the shark is the bad guy and only one person miraculously survives. The chances of dying in a shark attack is about one in 3,748,067 according to BBC News. The chances of being attacked by a shark are very slim. You’re more likely to get struck by lightning! Although the chances are slim, here are the best things to do in case you are the one in 3,748,067.

Don’t panic. 

The one thing I personally would do is panic. How couldn’t I? There is a two thousand pound beast that wants to eat me. We all can agree that being in this situation would be a terrible day. That shark just thinks there’s some-fin special about you!

The reason behind not panicking is that when there is panic, the shark gets more engaged. If it sees splashing around it will become curious and want to take a bite. Humans are able to touch things with their hands to feel what it is. Sharks don’t have hands, and their way of knowing what something is is to taste it. This is why many attacks do not result in death. You may just come out with a jaw-some scar. 

Maintain eye contact. 

Just like humans, sharks get intimidated when someone is staring into their eyes. They become more uncomfortable if you’re following them with your eyes as it circles you. It’s easier for them to attack from behind when you’re unaware. With eye contact, you look like more of a predator. If you follow the shark and copy what it’s doing to you, there is a good chance they will see you as a predator to them, and they will leave you alone. 

Get big or get small.

There’s no doubt about it that a shark can easily take someone out. They don’t have to know that! The bigger you appear the more dangerous you appear to a shark. How do you know which to do? If a shark is seeming to attack, remain big. This will allow you to seem like a predator to the shark and you will be respected more. If a shark is simply swimming by then make yourself into a ball and wait for it to pass. By doing this, you are taking attention away from yourself. 

Fight back.

Do not play dead. The shark doesn’t care. If it wants food, it will attack either way. Instead, fight the shark. Show it who’s boss. You have to hurt the shark in order for it to leave you alone. A hard strike to the nose or gills will get the shark to leave you alone. The only problem with the nose is that the mouth with rows and rows of teeth is right under it. You may also aim for the eyes. Oftentimes in movies we’ll see the characters ripping the eyes out of a shark. After doing this it immediately swims away. 

Slowly leave the scene. 

Like I said before, panicking will only draw attention to yourself. This is why it’s important to slowly back away from the shark. Make sure to keep the animal in your sight. Always know where it is, because sharks attack from all angles. Another way to ensure your safety is keeping your back towards something. For example, staying close to coral can help protect you from the shark. This, however, isn’t practical. If you’re not far from shore there won’t be much to protect you. This is why moving slowly away from the shark is your best bet. Just be careful, because these giant beasts can easily attack close to shore as well.

Now that you’re an expert in surviving shark attacks, let’s go take a swim with some shark bait to practice! Sounds fun right? Wrong. Don’t make any immature decisions with the high class information I’ve provided. Stay safe out there!