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Shark attack in Bahamas


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41 minutes ago, Momof4crazytocruise said:

And now I am off to google 'tips to avoid sharks while snorkeling in the Bahamas'. 

Shark attacks remain extremely rare. The odds of getting fatally attacked by the creature remain less than 1 in 4 million, according to the International Shark Attack File.

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16 hours ago, Swar said:

Sad news out of Nassau. A Harmony OTS passenger has passed while on a independent snorkel excursion. RIP

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2022-09-06/shark-attack-in-the-bahamas-kills-58-year-old-american-woman

So In June of 2019 another woman was killed by a shark at the same place. Why doesn't Royal Caribbean warn cruisers of this?https://abc13.com/woman-killed-in-bahamas-by-shark-attack-rose-island-harmony-of-the-seas-death/12206135/

 

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I read an article and saw on a you tube video that a passenger that was on the Harmony OTS attacked by a bull shark and died while on an excursion in the Bahamas. I wanted to give my condolences to the family and friends of this person who had such a tragic ending. And I am sure RC is assisting this family in every way possible. Again, my heart goes out to the family and friend of this lady.

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3 hours ago, Matt said:

Shark attacks remain extremely rare. The odds of getting fatally attacked by the creature remain less than 1 in 4 million, according to the International Shark Attack File.

Well this happened in the same place 2019. Now thats rare or common? Overall, at least 32 shark attacks have been reported in the Bahamas since 1749, followed by 13 attacks in Cuba during that time period, including one in 2019, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File.

 

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1 hour ago, Eddy said:

So In June of 2019 another woman was killed by a shark at the same place. Why doesn't Royal Caribbean warn cruisers of this?https://abc13.com/woman-killed-in-bahamas-by-shark-attack-rose-island-harmony-of-the-seas-death/12206135/

 

Probably because its not an RC excursion! 

Also its the Caribbean! There's sharks! Its not rocket science to know everytime you go in the water your sharing it with creatures that can attack! 

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2 hours ago, Eddy said:

Well this happened in the same place 2019. Now thats rare or common? Overall, at least 32 shark attacks have been reported in the Bahamas since 1749, followed by 13 attacks in Cuba during that time period, including one in 2019, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File.

 

It's very rare. According to data from the Florida Museum of Natural History, you have a 1 in 79,746 chance of dying from a bolt of lightning, compared to a 1 in 3,748,067 chance of dying from a shark attack. 

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2 hours ago, Eddy said:

So In June of 2019 another woman was killed by a shark at the same place. Why doesn't Royal Caribbean warn cruisers of this?https://abc13.com/woman-killed-in-bahamas-by-shark-attack-rose-island-harmony-of-the-seas-death/12206135/

 

Royal should also warn cruisers not to drive to embarkation ports due to the possibility of being involved in an a car crash. 

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4 hours ago, Eddy said:

So In June of 2019 another woman was killed by a shark at the same place. Why doesn't Royal Caribbean warn cruisers of this?https://abc13.com/woman-killed-in-bahamas-by-shark-attack-rose-island-harmony-of-the-seas-death/12206135/

1 - this was not a Royal excursion so none of the blame, fault, or responsibility is with Royal.

2 - okay so you're second comment might be, why didn't the company warn of this? and maybe they do. But they are in wildlife's territory and wildlife doesn't pay attention to borders or the like. I'm sure they watch the areas for reports of shark sightings, but these are fast moving migratory creatures who may not have been anywhere nearby the day before, but then were floating around deep in the waters that morning.

4 hours ago, Eddy said:

Well this happened in the same place 2019. Now thats rare or common? Overall, at least 32 shark attacks have been reported in the Bahamas since 1749, followed by 13 attacks in Cuba during that time period, including one in 2019, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File.

 

3 - an average of one incident every 8 years (32 divided by 273 years) is not common. That is rare. You have to look at the whole scene. Hundreds of thousands (if not more) of people swim in the waters around the Bahamas. 1 every 8 years is far far far below 1% of people.

 

Does this suck for the family? Is it painful and awful and terrible and unfair? Yes to all of the above. But it is an accident. It is a terrible reminder that we humans are not invincible and that terrible things can happen.

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Terrible tragedy.   

Volusia county in Florida was in the news tonight for a shark attack.  Think Daytona Beach for reference.  That was their 7th this year.  It's pretty common to hear about a shark bite in Florida and most are from beaches where they often go after lower legs and ankles.  Most are not fatal.

When snorkeling you tend to be in a little deeper water compared to wading along a beach.  If the bite occurs in the torso there can be more critical organs involved compared to ankle and lower leg bites you often hear about from Florida beaches.  Just unfortunate.

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  • Matt changed the title to Shark attack in Bahamas
17 hours ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

1 - this was not a Royal excursion so none of the blame, fault, or responsibility is with Royal.

2 - okay so you're second comment might be, why didn't the company warn of this? and maybe they do. But they are in wildlife's territory and wildlife doesn't pay attention to borders or the like. I'm sure they watch the areas for reports of shark sightings, but these are fast moving migratory creatures who may not have been anywhere nearby the day before, but then were floating around deep in the waters that morning.

3 - an average of one incident every 8 years (32 divided by 273 years) is not common. That is rare. You have to look at the whole scene. Hundreds of thousands (if not more) of people swim in the waters around the Bahamas. 1 every 8 years is far far far below 1% of people.

 

Does this suck for the family? Is it painful and awful and terrible and unfair? Yes to all of the above. But it is an accident. It is a terrible reminder that we humans are not invincible and that terrible things can happen.

Yes the tour company was not through Royal. Whether there was a warning, or waiver to be signed...dont know.  Rare or common... I think that depends on the country/seas     ie  Australia is known to have frequent shark attacks as well as parts of Florida.  Jamaica? I have snorkled there for years and nobody can even think of attacks that have happened....coral reefs may be a factor?   There are safe spots in the world to snorkel without fear of sharks. You need to do due diligence and research.  Coco Cay owned by Royal could have sharks, but I think they have radio waves in the water to deter sharks. The safest place there is in the inside cove beach area ( no creepy crawlers there at all )    Very sad indeed.  There are certain activities in life that I do not do because of inherent risks.... sky diving, bungee jumping, rock climbing, diving, cave adventures, etc.  People die every year climbing Mt Everest.  I simply do not understand why anybody would want to spend $70,000 + to do that and risk their lives and others.  

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2 hours ago, Eddy said:

I simply do not understand why anybody would want to spend $70,000 + to do that and risk their lives and others.  

Heck, I understand completely. I've jumped out of aircraft, scuba dived, graduated Ranger School, gone to war a few times, traveled the world, and lived life to the fullest. If you live in a cacoon, are you really living? At least the lady was enjoying life up until the unfortunate attack. 

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21 hours ago, Swar said:

Heck, I understand completely. I've jumped out of aircraft, scuba dived, graduated Ranger School, gone to war a few times, traveled the world, and lived life to the fullest. If you live in a cacoon, are you really living? At least the lady was enjoying life up until the unfortunate attack. 

Well I do believe and like to try new things... but not things that risk my life. Being in the moment, awake and alive and able to enjoy things now. Not worrying about the past or postponing happiness to a distant future......this is living life to the fullest.

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On 9/7/2022 at 3:16 PM, Vancity Cruiser said:

Royal should also warn cruisers not to drive to embarkation ports due to the possibility of being involved in an a car crash. 

Your sarcasm is noted. One study in Australia found an average of about 11 snorkeling deaths each year on the continent with over 2.2 million snorkeling dives on just the Great Barrier Reef alone in 2007, and notes that “reports of harm from snorkelling are rare, and it can generally be considered a safe activity  But if there is a history of wayward sharks, or any attacks, I would like to know, rare or not. Florida registers on average 26 shark bites a year.  To equate a warning to a car crash is nonsense.  You can avoid an accident in many ways. , people are warned and taught basic principles.  Same applies to snorkelling and water safety. 

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I don't really think Royal can or should try to warn their customers about all possibilities of danger for activities that are peripheral to the cruise.  It's just not really practical.  In this case, you have data on snorkeling and sharks and got that data outside of Royal.  There really isn't any reason to think this victim didn't know that sharks in the Caribbean were a possibility and accepted the risk due to rarity.

I agree that people should be aware, but I just don't think we can put it on Royal.  Their part is to provide a safe cruise.

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I have gone snorkeling multiple times in the Caribbean and the Pacific, and my husband, who is scuba certified, has been deep in the water in many, many places, Atlantic, Pacific, Caribbean, etc. 

I never saw sharks come near me except when I was in a Mexican jungle preserve, AND at CocoCay when I was floating in the water.  I certainly jumped out of the water and went back on the beach, and became a bit wary after that. It is not completely clear what attracts them--warm waters, rainfall, sound, movement, color, etc.  

Let me say that in the water the sharks' speed can be fantastic--they can turn and shift faster than one can blink an eye, and go from very shallow and very deep in an instant.  

I do not know how one completely avoids aquatic life--it is a natural part of the water.  However, I do think there are probably some places that are safer to snorkel than others, and it is up to the local boat captains to be aware of potential risks or sightings.  We tourists should try not to stray off too far alone while in the water, also.  However, in no way, shape, or form can a cruise ship line have any responsibility for a shark attack while a person is snorkeling--Nature is always unpredictable.

My deepest sympathy to the family.

 

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I think the scariest part of the 2019 attack was that it involved three tiger sharks...not just a "bite and run." And the fact that it took way too long to get the girl any type of medical assistance. They had nothing on board for medical emergencies.

In last week's incident, the son did the right thing- poked the shark in the eye to get it off his mother. Then the captain of the boat drove toward the shark in an attempt to help. I feel bad for everyone involved. It was a bull shark. They're very aggressive. 

I've only ever snorkeled in the Virgin Islands and the Caymans. I just don't care for the Bahamas. However, I'm not going to pretend like I knew there were bull and tiger sharks in the area. I never even considered that because people snorkel there all the time! I assumed there were nurse sharks and other docile species, but nothing to be worried about.

Shark attacks are rare, but when you see two in the same area...by some of the most aggressive sharks out there...that both ended in death...I don't know. I feel like it may be a good idea to change some things. (i.e. Stop snorkel tours in that area, alter the group size, safety briefings)

Royal Caribbean has nothing to do with this though. Whether it was an independent excursion or booked through them. 

 

 

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Sharks have very poor eyesight but incredible sense of smell and can feel, and interpret, vibrations from long distances. I have been in waters with sharks for decades and most are usually going to be sand, white and black tip, etc which do not pose threats to humans. When I heard of the attack, we were on a ship, my first mental question was...did she have a wetsuit or full black swimsuit on? Sharks see a dark object like that and think seal.

We docked with the Harmony on Thursday and spoke with several people from the ship and in the course of conversation we inquired about what happened and they didn't know about the attack. Well, there was this one woman who overheard the conversation and gave all kinds of gory details but frankly I think the only factual thing she knew was...a woman was attacked and died. 

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