I’m a diver – here are my top three tips if you ever encounter a shark
- A Hawaii-based shark diver offered advice on how to protect yourself from attacks
- Self-proclaimed ‘part mermaid’ often finds herself swimming with sharks
- She shared her top three tips on her TikTok account @mermaidmariahhh
A Hawaii-based diver has shared her top tips for preventing a shark attack.
Mariah Meyer, shark diver and marine biologist at One Ocean Diving, Haleiwa, Hawaii, is a self-proclaimed “mermaid party” who often finds herself swimming among sharks.
While most people wouldn’t dare to step into the murky waters, Mariah embraces the thrill underwater.
Working with freediving shop, scuba.com, Mariah took to TikTok to share the rules that all budding divers should follow.
A Hawaii-based diver and marine biologist at One Ocean Diving has shared her top tips for preventing a shark attack
Making eye contact with sharks is a great method of avoiding threats, according to Mariah, it makes sharks aware that “you are also a predator and not a prey”.
The diver explained: “Remain calm first and remember that we are not part of the shark diet, but we do not want to act like prey in the water, so limit any erratic swimming or splashing.”
In the footage, Mariah is shown floating carelessly among sharks, in a wetsuit and large flippers, while limiting her movements.
She clarifies: “Secondly, when you encounter a shark in the wild, don’t take your eyes off it.”
“Making eye contact with the sharks around you will let them know that you too are a predator and not a prey.”
She is then shown among a shiver of sharks, watching their movements closely and making sure to check behind her regularly.
Mariah added: “Finally, if the shark continues to approach you, use your fins to create space around you.”
“Using your fins helps create space between you and the shark and lets the shark know it’s your space.”
To do this, Mariah shows that she fends off a shark that keeps approaching her with the din of scuba diving she carries.
The shark quickly turned away from her, joining the rest of the group instead of bothering the diver.
Adding one final piece of advice, Mariah said: “The most important tip for going out in the ocean is to never go alone, always make sure you have a buddy with you.”
She is then pictured exploring the depths of the ocean with another diver.
Posting the video to her own TikTok account, @mermaidmariahhh, the daredevil got a lot of attention from her followers.
Swimmers should avoid ‘erratic movements’ when diving to avoid sharks mistaking you for prey, says Mariah
One scared user commented, “I’m so glad I followed to live vicariously through other people risking their lives.”
While another asked her if she had ever had a run-in with a great white shark, to which Mariah replied, “I wouldn’t recommend it!”
Mariah frequently shares videos of her diving adventures on her account, she has encountered many types of sharks including a “25ft whale shark”.
She often films herself swimming among tiger sharks and even touches one they named Queen Ali’i Nikole to redirect it. Although the act might seem dangerous, she told her followers, “I’m a professional shark diver, don’t try.”
Mariah’s advice comes shortly before a reported shark attack off the coast of Spain, in the municipality of Oliva south of Valencia.
The man is said to have been in shallower water when the shark collided with his leg before clenching its jaws around him.
Council chiefs have ordered the closure of beaches along the coast while an investigation takes place after the incident – the latest in a series of inland sightings of blue sharks off Spanish beaches.
