1 Kayleigh Grant Is Educating People About Shark Safety
Kayleigh Grant, 34, founder and operator of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii-based Kaimana Ocean Safari, shared a video with her TikTok followers, detailing how to avoid a shark attack. Her videos demonstrating how to safely get away from sharks are going viral. Keep reading to see the video and learn some of the tips.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb
2 Do Not Splash or Swim Away
Even though it might be natural instinct, Grant says one of the worst things you can do is splash and try to swim away. “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,” she says in one video.
3 Face the Animal and Touch Them
“What you actually want to do is not splash, turn around, face the animal, and maintain eye contact,” she continued. “With tiger sharks, you can place your hand on the top of their head, press down gently, and that will redirect them away from you.”
4 Look the Shark in the Eye
In the video she follows the suggestions, making eye contact and looking it in the eye. The shark then swims away.
5 Sharks Are “Just Investigating” When They Approach You
In another video, she pointed out that sharks are “likely just investigating” when they approach her and have no intention of biting. “This shark was swimming right towards me, but as soon as I turn my body around, face the animal, [and] make eye contact, it decides to turn off and swim away,” she says. “Making eye contact is more intimidating and is what other predators do.” She adds: “‘Making eye contact is the number one rule when shark diving!”
5 If the Shark Continues to Open Its Mouth, Touch It Somewhere Else
Grant was also asked what she would do if a shark opened its mouth and came at her. “This is such a rare situation that I only have one video that I can show you,” she said. “As the shark comes in, I go to redirect it. It decides to open its mouth, so I remove my hand from that area and place my hand on a different area of the shark,” she continued. “Here I was focused on getting my body to the side of the shark, away from the shark’s mouth. They are still wild animals, and they are totally unpredictable.”
6 Sharks Are Not Attracted to Blood
She also revealed the truth about a common misconception that sharks are attracted to human blood. “When you dive for a living, you definitely enter the ocean with plenty of cuts and scrapes, and I’ve been around sharks while bleeding a bit and there is no reaction,” she said in an interview with KHON. “‘We don’t smell or taste like their natural food source which is fish!”
7 These Additional Tips Are Key
Grant also revealed some additional tips. “The best way to do that is to stay calm, don’t splash, maintain eye contact, and if one comes up to you, try putting your fins or camera between you and them,” she said in the interview.“Don’t surf or swim in murky waters or after big rainfall, don’t swim near someone actively fishing or harbor mouths, and swim and surf in groups.”
