Sharks and snorkeling

[Amandaburnett]

So I might come across as a total wimp, but we are headed to Cozumel, Belize and Roatán in April. I had wanted to go snorkeling but am a little nervous of getting in deep water and hearing the jaws theme song in my head. Anyone had any issues? I had always thought snorkeling was a shallow water thing! But when I went to book a trip to a reef it said 8 to 80 feet deep! I’m a good swimmer so that isn’t the issue. It’s the instantly hitting the bottom of the food chain that has me nervous!

[Host Carolyn]

My son loves there and I will ask. I know they see eels, beautiful stingrays and lots of colorful fish but never mentioned shsrks. I'm sure some divers who post here will chime in

[ABQrobin]

Scuba diver here....  you have a zero chance of getting attacked by a shark at any of these places  UNLESS you cover yourself in fish blood and splash around uncontrably for an hour minimum....then you have a 1% chance of a shark attacking you.  You are more likely to get fire coral burns from touching the coral reef, sea urchin puncture from stepping on one around rocks in water,  or jellyfish stings from touching one of those.  Seriously.  

 

 

[Guest 2000]

53 minutes ago, ABQrobin said:

 

 

I'm not a big fan of absolutes, someone saying you have zero chance of anything.. it worries me. 

 

I will tell you that I have been snorkeling in various places along the island for pretty close to 18 years and I've never seen a shark. 

 

I was snorkeling off the Corn Islands three years ago, first time ever there, saw shark, a nurse shark that couldn't be bothered with me or the people with me.

 

80 feet sounds pretty deep to be snorkeling. I think most of what's available in the West Bay area unless you get out to the big blue drop off is around 20 to 30. 

Edited February 6, 2019 by Guest 2000

[ABQrobin]

When I say I am a scuba diver, and my DH is a scuba diver, I mean we have hundreds (I have 500+ and he has 800+ dives) around the world.  We have done hundreds of dives in Caribbean alone, and seen sharks on possibly 25% of those dives.  In Palau we did 24 dives and every single one of them had multiple sharks, one in particular we went right through a school of 40+ sharks.  Not once have I ever been threatened by a shark.  I have been bumped by a shark even, when I was climbing back on a boat in Bahamas after a shark feed dive (hated it, makes the sharks crazy and aggressive) and still I have never been attacked by a shark. 

 

I love sharks, love them... they are wonderful creatures and do not bother anyone unless they are stirred up by bleeding dead matter, like a dead whale or blubber in the water.  They do not eat people... only times they ever bite someone is when the person is mistaken by the shark for their favorite food, usually seal or when people are swimming near a pier where fishermen are throwing chum in the water.  

 

To the OP, you have nothing to fear.  Sharks have a keen sense of smell... and we smell like the chemicals and crap we eat.  Not what they want to eat at all.  Sharks are basically the garbage men of the ocean, they like dead or dying fish that do not put up much of a fight.  

 

Guest2000... you don't believe me about sharks, then take a look at some of my underwater videos.  I have  been in the water with nurse sharks, white tips, reef sharks, etc.  

 

Just a sample:

 

 

 

 

 

just a sample of some of my videos....  

 

 

Edited February 6, 2019 by ABQrobin

[Guest 2000]

It is not that I don't believe you, it is  absolutes are ridiculous.  No one, absolutely no one can predict the future. 

 

You could sure say it's very unlikely, but to tell somebody  there is zero chance under any circumstance at all whatsoever... That's not doing anybody any favors. 

[JT1962]

I have not seen sharks in Roatan, but did see nurse sharks in Belize and Grand Turk while snorkeling, so anything is possible.

 

As far as depths, most of the locations I have been to on Excursions are 8 - 30 feet, with the reef rising closer to the surface in many areas. We did snorkel the wall in Grand Turk which was cool to see the water drop from 30 feet to up to 7,000 feet deep in a short distance, though I don’t think that is an issue in Roatan.

[ABQrobin]

Seeing a shark, and being attacked by a shark are two different things.... that was my point.  I see them all the time, I have been within 3' of numerous sharks, and never once did a shark bite me...  the reason?  We are not on sharks menu of foods.  Sharks usually see humans and go the opposite direction very quickly.  They don't hang around unless you feed them something that IS on their menu, like they do in Bahamas and Belize (they throw chum in water or hand feed them food).