We posted an article on the concept of Fight-or-Flight Response When Sharks Are Spotted (here).
Triple Crowner Mike Miller of Hawaii explains his own perspective of the options to fight or flight…or freeze vis-a-vis apex predators.
“Our response isn’t about the shark. Rather, it is about ourselves. A shark encounter could be substituted with turbulence in an airplane, heights, a near-miss auto accident, or in my case, getting nearly run over by a boat…again.
The shark is an element of our behavior, not the shark’s behavior. Some people fear being removed from their comfort zone, while others thrive out of their zone, or simply do not enjoy their comfort zone. In other words, every single open water swimmer will likely be different. I think the single most important factor to be awake to, is, if one is swimming in an ocean, or very near an ocean, one must be aware they might see something life-threatening. If we cannot get comfortable with that, we probably do not belong in the ocean. Rough thought, but if you are swimming in a crowd of swimmers less fearful, and you encounter something you believe is fearful, this creates an even more dangerous scenario, than the supposed marine life threat itself.
The oceans are marine life’s element, not ours.”
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