For those who have redirected a shark by its nose, does it take a lot of effort? Do they feel heavy? I know that sounds strange, but I don't know what words to use.
The other commenter said about moving sharks from one location to another. My understanding of the question is how difficult it is to redirect a shark coming at you underwater?
Just to clarify, I personally have never handled shark, so I am just repeating what people I have talked to, who has handled sharks like bull sharks and jagged toothed sharks, said.
Because of all of the water and the fact that the sharks approach out of curiosity, they are relatively easy to redirect. You can feel their strength when redirecting them, but it doesn't require a ton of strength.
Ime, it greatly depends on the size and individual animal. I work with a few different carpet shark species.
For the larger ones (leopard and nurse), they're conditioned to move into adjacent hospital tanks when we give them signals. Our female nurses and (male) leopard are such joys, but the male nurse can be very finicky and difficult to encourage.
For the smaller ones (banded bamboo, baby leopard), we'll physically move them (until they stop tolerating it) using moist towels and this hammock thing where we quickly transport the animal from tank A to tank B. Due to that stress tho, we seldom move the smaller ones, only to hospital or larger tanks as they get bigger
I’ve redirected bull sharks, oceanic blacktips and one tiger whilst working in east Africa. In the water you can feel that they are heavy but as you are both floating it’s almost like pushing something in space. If on scuba both of you are neutrally buoyant. So you get a slight bounce away from the shark, which is kind of the idea. To move your body around the shark and safely away from the sharp end when they become curious. I’ve never done it whilst resting on the bottom like you see in Bimini etc.
I’ve handled bulls and oceanic blacktips by boats and on the beach. The individuals I handled were 2-300kg so extremely heavy which is why a quick release is so important. They start to crush their own organs when not supported by the water.
I cannot answer for ‘redirecting ‘ a large shark in my personal space, but as a pure physical thing? They are almost ‘neutral’ weight in the water. Even one that weighs hundreds of KG. So the redirecting? Would depend on the sharks response. It’s not ‘heavy’ in the water… a 400 Kg shark weighs very little submerged, but it is incredibly powerful. If they choose to resist? They ( a large one) outweigh and out muscle a human many times over.
The diver needs to be both knowledgeable and skilled on top of unafraid. I’m none of the above, just aware of the physics.
In the Seventies I visited the beach often. I was coming in from the deep and I got hit (H.I.T.) by a big shark I never saw. I'm 5'9," 140 lbs, and the water and waves breaking were just above my knees. That shark knocked me down, FLAT.
However, the skin on my leg where it hit me was raw and bleeding. It looked like my leg had been sanded with large grit sandpaper until the skin was gone. It took weeks to heal.
I've dove with a few different species of shark and redirecting takes good timing but not a ton of "force"
Bulls, Sandbar, and Dusky all generally came up for investigative pokes, i just held my hand out and gently nudged them the way you would a door at home and they generally veered out of the way of their own accord.
Accidentally got bumped by a juvenile whale shark, there's no redirecting that. I pushed and moved myself away it was honestly funny.
Have redirected a few Tigers under a few different circumstances. When they're lazy and just checking you out it's similar to a large bull. They move with a fairly firm but not excessively forceful redirect. Think heavy car door. You definitely get a sense that this is an incredibly powerful creature that can immediately overpower you and the redirect is just that, a redirect. There's no actual pushing a large tiger away, they choose to agree to the redirect (and they almost always do).
But when they decide they're going to double back after the first redirect and take a second look and you need to really get them out of your way, its a redirect and you follow through in that direction with them for a few feet. Which I've only had once. It's not any more forceful, it's just follow through.
Exhilarating, humbling, and paradoxically where I've felt the most inner calm in my life is when I'm in the water with sharks.
The other commenter said about moving sharks from one location to another. My understanding of the question is how difficult it is to redirect a shark coming at you underwater?
Just to clarify, I personally have never handled shark, so I am just repeating what people I have talked to, who has handled sharks like bull sharks and jagged toothed sharks, said.
Because of all of the water and the fact that the sharks approach out of curiosity, they are relatively easy to redirect. You can feel their strength when redirecting them, but it doesn't require a ton of strength.
Yeah, I was talking about being submerged in water with the sharks haha, but they gave an interesting answer so I just accepted it.
I actually asked because I was looking at a large shark being redirected with one hand and then I got curious.
Thank you for your addition.
Oops, sorry 😂
You taught us something interesting so no need to be sorry.
No, dont apologise! You were informative :)
Was the shark being redirected or getting rotated like an idiot?
Great shark question, very practical, subscribing to learn
Ime, it greatly depends on the size and individual animal. I work with a few different carpet shark species.
For the larger ones (leopard and nurse), they're conditioned to move into adjacent hospital tanks when we give them signals. Our female nurses and (male) leopard are such joys, but the male nurse can be very finicky and difficult to encourage.
For the smaller ones (banded bamboo, baby leopard), we'll physically move them (until they stop tolerating it) using moist towels and this hammock thing where we quickly transport the animal from tank A to tank B. Due to that stress tho, we seldom move the smaller ones, only to hospital or larger tanks as they get bigger
Thank makes sense. Thanks for your answer!
I love your username 😂 np, OP!
Thank you!
I’ve redirected bull sharks, oceanic blacktips and one tiger whilst working in east Africa. In the water you can feel that they are heavy but as you are both floating it’s almost like pushing something in space. If on scuba both of you are neutrally buoyant. So you get a slight bounce away from the shark, which is kind of the idea. To move your body around the shark and safely away from the sharp end when they become curious. I’ve never done it whilst resting on the bottom like you see in Bimini etc.
I’ve handled bulls and oceanic blacktips by boats and on the beach. The individuals I handled were 2-300kg so extremely heavy which is why a quick release is so important. They start to crush their own organs when not supported by the water.
Hell yeah, also lol "sharp end"
Wow, thank you so much. This is so interesting. I never even considered their own organs being crushed without water...
I cannot answer for ‘redirecting ‘ a large shark in my personal space, but as a pure physical thing? They are almost ‘neutral’ weight in the water. Even one that weighs hundreds of KG. So the redirecting? Would depend on the sharks response. It’s not ‘heavy’ in the water… a 400 Kg shark weighs very little submerged, but it is incredibly powerful. If they choose to resist? They ( a large one) outweigh and out muscle a human many times over.
The diver needs to be both knowledgeable and skilled on top of unafraid. I’m none of the above, just aware of the physics.
I had sharks bump into me. They're fish, powerful swimmers. 🤷♀️
They really are powerful.
In the Seventies I visited the beach often. I was coming in from the deep and I got hit (H.I.T.) by a big shark I never saw. I'm 5'9," 140 lbs, and the water and waves breaking were just above my knees. That shark knocked me down, FLAT.
what did the shark think?
Rocketed off, never saw it.
However, the skin on my leg where it hit me was raw and bleeding. It looked like my leg had been sanded with large grit sandpaper until the skin was gone. It took weeks to heal.
that’s a really cool story. thanks for sharing!
My first shark encounter.
I never thought of this, but I'm glad you asked so a lot of us could learn.
I love learning!
I've dove with a few different species of shark and redirecting takes good timing but not a ton of "force"
Bulls, Sandbar, and Dusky all generally came up for investigative pokes, i just held my hand out and gently nudged them the way you would a door at home and they generally veered out of the way of their own accord.
Accidentally got bumped by a juvenile whale shark, there's no redirecting that. I pushed and moved myself away it was honestly funny.
Have redirected a few Tigers under a few different circumstances. When they're lazy and just checking you out it's similar to a large bull. They move with a fairly firm but not excessively forceful redirect. Think heavy car door. You definitely get a sense that this is an incredibly powerful creature that can immediately overpower you and the redirect is just that, a redirect. There's no actual pushing a large tiger away, they choose to agree to the redirect (and they almost always do).
But when they decide they're going to double back after the first redirect and take a second look and you need to really get them out of your way, its a redirect and you follow through in that direction with them for a few feet. Which I've only had once. It's not any more forceful, it's just follow through.
Exhilarating, humbling, and paradoxically where I've felt the most inner calm in my life is when I'm in the water with sharks.
It's not as easy as swiping left on my dating profile, that's for sure.
From what I can tell, it's about the same effort as pushing your friend's dog away after you spilt beer on your pants. Effort, but not difficult.
Just stick a finger up their asshole and they'll move right along.