Diving With Reef Sharks and the Nasty Underwater Thug – AKA the Titan Triggerfish
As a dive professional for some years now, it still gives me some amusement to notice that some perceptions don’t change so quickly; entry-level student divers especially. Their worries or anxieties remain the same. Besides the usual queries about the diving course, anxieties regarding sharks and the perceived threat to their well-being when they go diving are still very much existent.
To the general public, the mere mention of the word “shark” conjures up imagery of a fierce marine animal with sharp jagged teeth able to tear into flesh and bone easily, constantly on the prowl in the sea, ever ready to pounce on the swimmer, snorkeler or scuba diver who has the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time! Thus, as a dive educator, besides instructing the total newbie diver on the skills and safety aspects of scuba diving, there is an added element of trying to reform misconceptions of the marine environment and sway traditional perceptions of dangerous marine animals, mainly sharks!