Question: how does it feel when sharks swim past you with you knowing you could be eaten

Sophie Holles answered on 19 Mar 2013:

The first time I was scared, and excited at the same time. The first time I went diving in a coral reef with sharks we were collecting fish specimens so about 5 black tip reef sharks started circling us and coming closer! I was pretty clumsy in the water because I was only a beginner (this was when I was 23 and I only just started getting into marine biology), but thankfully the director of the research station was with us and kept hitting the sharks with his needle spear just enough to keep them away.

Now I’m not so scared of the black tips and I love seeing them because they’re really beautiful creatures, they’re actually pretty common where I work and not really that dangerous, way more people get killed by pet dogs and road traffic than sharks. You can also tell from their behaviour whether you’re safe, most of the time they just check you out and decide you’re too big for them to eat.

The biggest sharks I’ve dived with was about was about 8 lemon sharks. They can be dangerous but as long as they’re not circling you at the same height you’re ok.. that was definitely an exciting experience!