What to do if a shark is circling you?

If you do encounter a shark despite these precautions, the best thing to do, according to the University of Florida’s international shark attack file, is “leave the water – swim quickly but smoothly”, ideally with someone else so you don’t become a solitary target. Studies undertaken by Bucher and other researchers in the US show that sharks have a tendency to pursue fleeing targets but will stop if they are faced, something Fanning did. If their prey is facing them, sharks tend to keep circling. If there’s a six- to seven-metre great white interested in you, there’s not much you can do about that, but a younger animal, at around three metres, isn’t used to feeding on large animals and will be more cautious. If a shark is looking to attack you, it may hunch its back and rush at you. The shark attack file suggests cutting off the angles of attack by placing your back against a reef or rock and fending off the shark with an inanimate object. A prod to the nose is often a sufficient deterrent. Fanning said he punched the shark “a couple of times”, which can also be effective, if riskier. “Playing dead” doesn’t work as a strategy, so try to punch and claw your way free and retreat as quickly as possible. “Some people say go for the eyes and gills as they are sensitive places, but good luck in finding them in that situation,” Bucher said.