Whale sharks are completely harmless, and a sight to behold. Still quite impressive if you ever get the chance to see one under water!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nOne of the most common questions divers get is: \u201cAren\u2019t you afraid of sharks?\u201d The truth is that sharks have been portrayed completely wrong in movies and news reports. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sharks are important parts of any ecosystem; they help keep fish populations fit and are a sign of a healthy reef. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They have a specific diet of fish and small sea creatures \u2013 and humans aren\u2019t on the menu. Horses, dogs, and cows attack more people every year than sharks! (3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most divers will tell you stories of peaceful sharks cruising the reefs during a dive, or even that sharks are hard to see because they\u2019re afraid of divers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most sharks that you would see on a coastal dive, like reef and nurse sharks, aren\u2019t aggressive at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even the more aggressive species, like great white sharks, aren\u2019t going to show up in the middle of your dive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You usually need to go cage diving in a more remote site, like off the coast of Mexico or South Africa, to see them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As long as you follow your training and don\u2019t touch, harass, or chase any sea creatures, your risk of having a bad encounter will practically disappear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Will I run out of air?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Diving equipment and technology have improved drastically since Jacques Cousteau first started experimenting with breathing compressed air in the 1940s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, divers have modern, reliable, and highly tested breathing equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regulator hoses deliver air from the tank to a diver\u2019s lungs at just the right pressure for the diver\u2019s depth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regulators are equipped with various fail-safes that continue the flow of air to the diver even if the regulator has a mechanical issue during the dive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Divers also have an air gauge that constantly displays how much air is in the tank. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the dive, you and your divemaster will both be checking your air, and you\u2019ll come back up to the surface well before your tank nears empty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As part of the pre-dive safety check, divemasters and dive buddies should always check that the tank is full and the regulator and air gauge are working well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you, your divemaster, and your dive buddy all fail to notice that your tank is suddenly empty, every diver has a spare breathing hose you can hop on to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why training before a dive includes how to share air, and why dive standards are adamant that you always have a buddy within a few meters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Almost all problems with air can be avoided by following standards and training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n