What are the main reasons why sharks attack people?

Answer 1

1. Most shark attacks on humans are often be interpreted as the shark mistaken the person as their food source (seal, manatee, etc.). A surfer, for example, ona surfboard with legs outstretched looks like a manatee outline from beneath the water.

2. With overfishing in some areas the shark's food sources have moved or been depleted making the sharks swim closer to populated beaches looking for food. This makes shark attacks on people more likely.

Answer 2

We look like seals and other types of prey that a shark might eat.

A shark is swimming in the sea. It sees something that [i]might[/i] be food. The shark can no "read the label" nor can it "ask the shop assistant," and wearing a swim suit/bakini is not going to let the shark know you are human, and not food.

It can do what small children do, and "taste it". So the shark does just that. It takes a bite to see if it/you are edible.

YUK! goes the shark, that was a human wearing a wet suit on a surf board.. Spit it out!

From the surfers point of view it was not fun to have a bite taken out of them, but they got lucky, and got spat out!

Sometimes the shark might go "MMM.. Not decided, lets have a second bite..."

Other sharks might be large enough that the first "lets see if this is edible" bite is sadly "Game over" for the swimmer.

Just remember, we never see sharks on the land looking to eat humans.

Answer 3

Sharks are attracted to movement. If someone is splashing in the water while swimming, the shark will relate that to a struggling fish or seal, easy prey. Usually they will bite and let go once they've decided that you're not their usual prey, but sometimes people are not as fortunate as to be let go. Some researchers say that sharks mistake surfers on surfboards for seals and that's the reason they attack them.

Answer 4

Sharks often mistake people for seals. Whenever a shark is near, people often panic, and scare the sharks. Therefore the shark attacks in self defense.