Is there scuba diving / snorkelling in Sierra Leone that is safe e.g. from sharks?
I am planning to visit Sierra Leone. I have seen some pictures and the beaches are awesome. They have beautiful and appealing islands for diving and snorkeling.
Is there a serious threat of shark attacks in those waters? Are there any documented cases of such attacks? Is it advisable to dive/snorkel in that region of the world?
Best Answer
The beaches of Sierra Leone are perhaps the most beautiful beaches in the world. In case you were around in the 1980s and remember the Bounty (chocolate bar) commercials, featuring a gorgeous woman on an even more gorgeous beach, these commercials were shot in Sierra Leone.
I don't think diving or snorkelling is a big thing in Sierra Leone, but it's certainly possible, though you'll have a hard time finding a local outfit to accommodate you.
I lived in Sierra Leone from 2010 - 2012. Shark attacks were never considered an issue. To the extent that I don't remember once anyone ever mentioning sharks while I lived in Sierra Leone. I lived on the coast and regularly went to the beaches.
More serious danger, though, comes from the treatorous currents at some of the beaches. Several foreigners drowned at several occasions while I lived in Sierra Leone.
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Are there sharks in Sierra Leone?
The shark fishery in Sierra Leone has become a major economic activity since the 1980's but continues to be dominated by Ghanaians, Senegelese and Guineans.Do people get attacked by sharks while snorkeling?
The general rule for snorkeling is not to touch anything, so snorkelers are normally pretty safe. The biggest risks are more likely cramps, injuries, and rip currents. The reality is sharks are very low on the risk scale. Worldwide there around 80 shark attacks every year, of which anywhere between 4 to 10 are fatal.Do sharks bother scuba divers?
Yes, sharks do attack divers, whether provoked or unprovoked. However, attacks are extremely rare, as sharks don't view scuba divers as a particularly appetizing prey.How do you avoid shark attacks when snorkeling?
Good Tips to KnowSNORKELING with CURIOUS SHARKS | SAN BLAS ISLANDS | Life of Riley Ep. 23
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Answer 2
Speaking from the available data only and not from first-hand experience, it seems that Sierra Leone is pretty safe when it comes to shark attacks. Sources often cite only a few attacks ever recorded (For instance here or here) mostly lying more than 100 years back.
There seems to have been one incident in 2006, killing 4 fishermen. I am not sure if that was an unprovoked attack.
Also I am not sure if the small amount of attacks is due to the fact that cases don't get reported or that there really aren't any.
Answer 3
I am a little disturb about people's fear of shark attacks. Your odds of being harassed by a shark is something like 1 in 3,748,067 (+/- 0.0000267%) and to be killed by a shark is roughly 1 in 89,953,608 (+/- 0.00000111%)
https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/statistics/GAttack/World.htm
In period from 1580 to 2014 the Confirmed Unprovoked Shark Attacks is 2,777 world wide.
Also see what other risks you should worry about: https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/attacks/relarisklifetime.html
In 2014 there were 118 shark incidents reported of which 10 were fatalities. After investigation it was found only 72 incidents were actually unprovoked shark incidents of which 3 were fatalities. http://sharkattackfile.info/SAS_Summary/2014.asp
And then in case you can not click on links: https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/statistics/gattack/MapAfric.htm According to this in the period 1828-2014 Sierra Leone had 1 shark incident
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