Story by Neil Hammerschlag

Make no mistake about it: Spearfishing can be an act of shark provocation. A speared fish sends out all the right signals—a bloody smell and stress vibrations—that sharks recognize as an “easy meal.”

If you are spearing fish, expect shark encounters. What you do next is up to you, but I offer these tips to reduce unwanted interactions and protect the safety of both spearfisher and shark:

1. Avoid being in the water alone. Several individuals may be better able to spot and deter an approaching shark.

2. Avoid wearing bright or contrasting colors. Sharks have good vision and bright and/or contrasting colors can be stimulating to these curious creatures.

3. Be conscious of your surroundings. Unusually high marine life activity (fish, marine mammals, birds) may indicate a concentrated food source like a bait ball that can draw in hunting and stimulated sharks. Conversely, if all the fish in an area immediately disappear, a hunting shark may have just arrived. Check your surroundings and cautiously exit the water.

4. Sharks may frequent particular feeding areas so avoid areas where and when shark encounters have occurred in the past or where sharks have been seen recently.

5. Avoid spearfishing in murky water as it may be difficult for you to spot a shark and easier for a shark to mistake you for a potential prey item. Many sharks hunt during dawn and dusk so don’t spearfish during these periods.

6. If you spot a shark, always maintain direct visual contact with the animal. Do not turn your back and swim away. Sharks generally rely on ambush attack and are aware when they have been spotted. They also may be wary when visually followed.

7. If you spear a fish, immediately remove it from the water. Keeping your catch may stimulate a shark approach or attack. Avoid areas where people have just been spearfishing.

8. If a shark approaches, consider forfeiting your fish before the animal gets within 10 to15 feet. A discarded catch will likely be consumed by a shark and will not elicit a feeding frenzy; however, failing to let it go could result in a closer than desired encounter brought on by you! Usually sharks will lose interest in you if you are no longer carrying a food source of theirs; however, exit the water immediately, minimizing time at the surface.

Each shark can have a different personality toward you so after dropping your fish, if a shark still comes in closer than you are comfortable with then prod them with your speargun. Try to avoid contact with the shark’s gills or eyes as this may cause long-term harm. Do not use your speargun as an offensive weapon. Doing so will likely be ineffective and may elicit retaliation. Always maintain direct visual contact with the animal and do not swim away.

9. Do not aggravate a shark by trying to harm it or make unnecessary contact. Avoid intruding on a shark’s personal space by cornering it between you and a barrier like a beach, a boat or coral. Doing so may cause a shark to become defensive.

10. Listen to your inner voice. If you feel uncomfortable in the water, you should exit and return another day.

The ocean is the planet’s true last remaining wild place. Despite the tips above, once you enter the ocean you are in the sharks’ world and if you spear a fish, you will be provoking them. In the case of an encounter, I urge you to act responsibly and treat these magnificent animals with appreciation and respect.