Sharks sometimes show up when tourists go snorkeling in the Cayman Islands; however, they are not dangerous. If you respect them, they will not harm you while you are in the water.
Snorkeling in the Cayman Islands is a calming and relaxing experience. Many kinds of fish can be seen while snorkeling, including sharks. Some people choose not to snorkel because they think that a shark might show up and attack them. If you plan to go snorkeling, there is a good chance that you will see a shark underwater.
Sharks are well known in the Cayman Islands; however, the sharks seen while snorkeling do not attack human. Although the sharks are gentle, you must still know how to act when one swims by you. Improper behavior will makes the shark angry, and there is a slight chance that the shark will to bite back. If you want to prepare yourself, you must know how to identify a Cayman Islands shark and how it behaves.
Cayman Islands sharks do not look like the sharks you see in movies such as Jaws; they are a lot smaller. The sharks in the Cayman Islands are called Nurse Sharks, and you will normally see them in shallow water. Nurse sharks are no longer that 15 ft, and they are not aggressive towards humans. If you see one while you are snorkeling, it will swim around the area quite close to you. In fact, the shark will be so close that you can reach out and touch it with your hand. It will not be wise to touch the shark even though it may seem nice.
You also should not panic and swim away as quickly as possible; this may irritate the shark. When a shark is extremely close to you, just give it a few minutes to swim away. One thing that you should never do is try to feed a shark without a trained guide’s approval; the results will not be pleasant.
Nurse sharks are generally gentle; however, it is not wise to feed them underwater. Nurse shark have extremely sharp teeth, and they can easily cut someone’s finger. Someone once went on a snorkeling trip with a trained guide and decided to feed a shark. Before he tried to the feed the shark, he was told not to give the animals any kind of food. The man completely ignored the guide and handed the shark some food anyway.
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The man did not throw the food so it can float on the water; the man actually tried to put the food into the shark’s mouth. The shark took the food, but it also bit his finger. The tourist had to get stitches for his injured finger because he did not listen to the guide. This is why no one should attempt to feed a Nurse shark because it is too dangerous. Feeding sharks is not the only way to be injured; you also have to respect the sharks to avoid getting hurt.
Everyone who encounters a shark has to respect them, including kids. Some kids are extremely playful during snorkeling trips, but sharks are not used to that kind of behavior. Kids have to respect the sharks the same way they respect their pets. For example, a dog will attack someone if that person constantly throws objects at it. A shark will act just as a dog does; it will defend itself from kids that use objects to poke it. Sharks should be respected at all times; kids should not irritate a shark while they are snorkeling.
If you plan to go snorkeling, you might encounter a shark while you are swimming. Cayman Islands sharksare not dangerous; however, you must still follow the rules to remain safe
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