Sharks What?          
The purpose of this writing is to dispel unfounded, preconceived notions, held by all the parties involved, regarding shark encounters.
Are we going to relive the Dark Ages? Or are we first going to examine all the facts before we devise hasty, over-restrictive regulations that would prevent the public from participating in the process of discovery?  We need to be constantly aware that sometimes language can become the great manipulator that clouds fundamental truths. We must be on guard for insensibility, not knowing or caring what other people think. This behavior can lead to prohibitive over-regulation without knowledge or representation.
There are many types of sharks, over 250 species. Shark have survived hundreds of millions of years of change and upheaval in the marine world. Much has been learned about sharks as a result of public involvement. *Encounters with divers have dispelled more myths about sharks in the past ten years than could have ever been imagined. Divers can coexist with sharks in the same environment with out being harmed. Even when sharks are feeding, they are much more predictable than we once thought. (See Skin Diver magazine, September 1999, article by Rick Frehsee).
Someone once said to me,"What you do is self serving". If this is so it is the impulse of my search for understanding, adventure and discovery. I have over 10,000 dives and have spent the last 7 years working with sharks and marine animal behavior, to be specific, instinctual behavior based on first encounters and behavior of individual personalities within a species. We have made many fantastic discoveries through our direct contact experience with the marine animals. Some examples (without sounding to anthropomorphic) are; coexistence among combinations of sharks and barracuda, Sharks and morays, lobsters, jewfish and stingrays; Tonic immobilization, communalism among some creatures; and, what happens when you arm wrestle and octopus?
There is much I can say on the subject of shark behavior from my own research; but this is a start in explaining natural behavior adaptation of marine animals.
The normal anxiety that some divers/spearfisherman experience when entering the water is the result of a lack of knowledge about sharks' natural  instinctual behavior and the inevitable evolution of change. Change is the result of cause and effect.
Consider stress migration, one of the effects of a hurricane. This can lead sharks to become more aggressive and demonstrate behavior not of the norm. When the staple food is not available nurse shark have been known to corner fish and catch then on the move.
Another example of cause-and-effect is the adaptation of stimuli, such recognition of sound, also in the form of vibrations and harmonics. If an activity such as spearfishing is repeated in an area where sharks are present, the effect is that the sharks become familiar with the harmonics and the sound of the boat, the diver firing the speargun and also the vibrations of the wounded fish. (this is why we recommend head shoots; there is no vibration sent out)
The shark also experiences visual recognition. As soon as the diver enters the water the shark will follow, not chase, him. This is called instinctual behavior based on repeated encounters. In other words, the food is the trigger; not how it is presented or by whom it is presented. This has been proven in open field tests outside of known shark encounter areas.
Shark encounters, when performed properly, are a rewarding experience for many sport divers and are an important process by which we learn and discover. Shark encounters are no more responsible for behavior changes than are any of the other systems involved in the process of natural adaptation of the shark .
As for the preconceived notion that there is a increased danger to spearfisherman. NO! The only thing that may occur is that the spearfisherman may have to relinquish his catch-and only if he wants to. I have performed many tests with certain types of sharks where I have refused to relinquish my catch, and have actually played tug-of war to find out how persistent can be (visit our web page on spearfishing at http://www.divingdiscovery.com. I find that the sharks typically involved in the shark encounters with sport divers would not bite a spearfisherman unless he made an error in judgment.
Knowledge and information is the key to understanding. Follow the path of: Intelligence,Wisdom, Reason, Common sense, Insight, hindsight, foresight. Sharks have distinctive behaviors which must be studied and recognized for what they are. Once the facts are clear and evaluated, all sides can learn and man and shark can benefit from them.

PS. Someone once said "The proof in the pudding is in eating it". Therefore if anyone is interested we have video documentation of our work with Sea Creatures for your consideration; which will serve not only as scientific evidence but also as entertainment. Enjoy!

TO BE CONTINUED.............More Short Stories: Herman and Sea World, First Encounters, Dances with Turtles, Arm Wrestling Octopus, Don't Shoot The Daisies, Anemones, That's a Moray, The Jewish and the Moray, Night Creatures, The Pterradactle, A bite or a nip?, Interogative interview, Issues-Politics and people  etc

For information call; Florida (305) 743-2902, in New York call (518) 456-8146
mailto:RBoileau@aol.com
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