Last Updated: August 21, 2023, 17:26 IST
Marine biologist offers advice to prevent shark attacks. (Photo Credits: Reddit)
Maintaining continuous movement and remaining alert about the surroundings helps sharks understand that humans are predators and not prey.
Coming face to face with creatures of deep sea requires a unique kind of bravery but marine biologist and shark diver Andriana Fragola takes heroism to another level by fearlessly facing sharks in their natural habitat. With a deep understanding of these ocean predators, Fragola often shares valuable lessons on staying safe around the sea animal. In a Facebook video, she offered her essential advice on decoding sharks’ body language and how using nonverbal actions can demonstrate that you are predator, not prey.
She explains, “When the shark gets closer, make sure you maintain eye contact and reach out your hand and lock your elbow. Then press your hand down, flat on top of the shark’s head and follow through while pushing your body over and away from the predator.
According to Andriana Fragola, maintaining continuous movement and remaining alert about the surroundings helps sharks understand that humans as predators and won’t suspect you as prey. She further highlights the importance of avoiding water splashing as this can lead sharks to think that you’re injured or a struggling prey, leading them to attack.
She also recommends avoiding surfboards with bright, high-contrast colours like pink or yellow, as these shades might attract sharks. Instead, she mentions opting for darker boards with less visual appeal. Fragola also highlights understanding their migration days, which can bring various shark species closer to shore during specific seasons. She advises against swimming away, turning back or running from a shark, as these behaviours might trigger them to attack.
Ever since the video was posted, Andriana Fragola’s clip has garnered more than 38 million views and numerous comments from social media users.
A user wrote, “No way I’m diving at all in waters that I know have sharks.”
Another commented, “So when attacked by a shark I will super calmy stand still in front of him and then pet him on the head and push him away with my super powerful hand. Sure. That’s exactly what I will be able to do.”
“This is EXACTLY what I would do in this highly stressful situation,” a comment read.
One more wrote, “This was so insightful.”
In a conversation with the New York Post, Andriana Fragola told, “Being able to learn more about them and putting myself in those situations to learn more and just experience them and then start to teach people and grow just our knowledge about sharks is something that I’ve become really passionate for.”
Over the year, Andriana Fragola has developed the ability to recognize patterns that help her identify certain movements and behaviours of sharks.
