I'm sick of people telling me sharks aren't dangerous and that I'm stupid for being frightened

Truly gripping update, OP.

Sharks are safe until they eat you

Ok. Thanks.

I think your mom is calling you downstairs for dinner ....

Wait until OP heard about a 90's things called SHARK WEEK!

Sharks are like pittys…. very maligned and misunderstood.

Which is the worst shark?

Oh. Do you like chocolate or vanilla ice cream?

They're just Responsible Teeth Owners, until they aren't.

It honestly depends on how they’re raised. If they witness their parents engage in bloody attacks, the chances are higher they’ll engage in such behaviors, themselves.

My grandmother had a beloved Nanny Shark named Miss Chompsalot!

Thank you for letting us know, dear.

I’m with you OP.

Hate / fear sharks.

Most people never encounter a dangerous shark, but you never know which category you are going to end up in.

They have scared the crap out of me ever since I made the mistake of viewing Jaws at a movie theater.

Just for you, OP.

What are your thoughts about fish sticks?

OP is on her period

Baby Shark, R7.

I hate sharks. Can't we just kill them all?

Here you go, R7.

Yikes. I didn't know about the sinking of the steamship Nova Scotia off the coast of South Africa during World War 2. Only 192 of the nearly 1,000 men on board survived. The Oceanic Whitetip was blamed for many of the fatalities.

May I suggest you stop going to the beach with people who insist on ocean swimming? It seems to me that if there is any indication you might be stupid, it's that.

It's like Roy Scheider's son in Jaws 2 (or 3 or 4 - who keeps track?) deciding to be a marine biologist instead of, say, heading into agriculture or dentistry.

OP is fighting the urge to hug a shark

Sharks are slightly dangerous on the Cape. The attacks are not many but they continue every year.

You are correct, OP. We all want to eat you. But only you.

I heart sharks!

The ocean is not a swimming pool. And in Florida, neither are ponds and lakes.

Welcome to Miami.

OP, stay away from Florida, Hawaii and the Carolinas.

Fuck around and find out!

Jost don't swin with open cuts or while you're on period. Certain colors attract them so don't wear light colors. You'll probably be fine.

After Jaws came out, I was afraid to swim in a pond or lake! And I am a child of the water!

I'm a good swimmer, but not fond of getting in water that I can't see through. Lakes, maybe. But rivers and oceans are unpredictable and I'm fine observing them from the shore.

True, R32. Silvery flashy swimwear is not a good idea because it looks like fish scales to sharks. I've heard that you shouldn't swim with a dog because its swimming pattern looks like an animal in distress to a shark, ie. easy prey.

I'll agree to go into the ocean when mankind has finally explored every square inch of it right down to the deepest trench and identified every thing that lives in there.

As of right now, most of the ocean and its inhabitants remain virtually unknown/undiscovered.

Many of the shark attacks in the Hawaiian Islands occur when swimmers, snorkelers, surfers, and divers are in waters far from shore. I have friends that body surf in questionable places like adjacent to murky harbor openings, deep water swim hundreds of yards from shore, free dive in deep waters and surf where sharks are known to hang out. These are hobbies not for the faint of heart. There is a reason why shark attacks occur. You have entered THEIR territory. Just consider it this way ... every time you enter the ocean there are sharks nearby. Why? Because there are.