Maintain eye contact
Teen has very close encounter with great white shark
As the shark swims around you, keep your head on a swivel and try to maintain eye contact.
“Sharks are ambush predators,” Peirce explained. “If you’re turning around and facing it the whole time while it circles you, it’s not going to be half as comfortable as if it’s able to sneak up from behind.”
Hammerschlag concurred, saying you should posture your body toward the shark so it knows you see it and you’re following it. Then slowly back up toward your exit to a boat or shore.
If you’re surfing, track the shark with your board, Lowe said. “Let the shark know it’s being watched.”
Marine biologists and shark divers Adriana Fragola and Kayleigh Grant show how that eye contact method works with tiger sharks. In a viral TikTok video (see top of story), the shark is seen as Fragola splashes away, capturing its attention. She turns around, faces the approaching shark, remains still in the water and gently deflects the shark away with her hand.
“You’re definitely never going to outswim or outrun a shark if it were actually chasing you,” Fragola says in the video.
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