Is it safe to wear a black shirt at the beach? Will i look like a seal to sharks?

Question

Im going to the beach...and im a little worried about wearing clothing that MIGHT attract sharks into thinking im a seal....because seals are black... and sharks usually mistaken people for seals cuz of dark clothing.

Answer 1

lol funny. . .

You aren't going to swim in you shirt?!

Answer 2

No dont worry, just think of it like a wet suit (which are all black)

Answer 3

The only reason sharks attack people is when they are on surdf boards, just because from below they look like seals.It doesnt matter what shirt you should wear but if you are worried about it were white or yellow. Dont worry about it you are more likely to be attacked by a horse or pig then shark.

Answer 4

Why you wear a shirt while on the beach?

Take it off! C'mon!

Answer 5

Don't worry about it

You could dress up in a rubber seal suit and probably not get into any trouble.

Answer 6

Sharks are far more likely to be attracted to bright colors than to dark ones, A U.S. Navy study showed shark's eyesight is better suited to detecting contrasting colors, such bright yellow and orange.  Many scuba divers refer to those colors as " yum yum yellow" and "orange crush" due to the propensity of attracting the shark's attention.  A dark blue or black t-shirt is less likely to attrack a shark.    Other things to avoid is jewelry, which a shark can mistake for scales of a fish, or going in the water with a open cut.  Sharks are also most active during dusk.

As pointed out by other posters, the likelyhood of being attacked by a shark is extremely remote.

Answer 7

It really doesn't matter what you wear. I surf, and like almost every other surfer i wear a wetsuit when it gets cold, and just about everyone, including me, wears black ones. The only time you should worry about sharks is when there's been a sighting. Generally when you go to a beach that has a shark problem (there aren't many that people actually go to) the shark will almost always be seen before it endangers anyone, nd the lifeguards get everyone out of the water.

Sharks have fair eyesight, but are more attracted to shiny things, just out of a sense of curiosity and unless you're swimming rather far out, where the ground starts dropping off into the hundred foot depths, they wont mistake you for a seal. Even if you were out in that area, theres a fairly slim chance of one mistaking you for a seal, unless you're on a surfboard. Which you shouldnt be, because there generally arent any waves out there.

The way sharks hunt is by swimming deep under the area where seals swim through to get to fish. When they see a seal shape moving fast above them they surface with great speed and try to kill it before it realizes the shark is hunting them.

The total number of people killed or even attacked by sharks is very very small, in fact in 2006 there was a total of 62 shark attacks world wide, close to the 61 in 2005.  I'd be more worried about heat stroke, sun burns or the drive to the beach than being attacked by a shark while your on the beach.