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Pro divers demonstrate exactly what to do during a shark encounter in heart-stopping video

It seems counterintuitive, but could be life-saving.

Photo by Wai Siew on Unsplash

Think like a predator.

Look, I get it. You’re there minding your own business, relaxing in the cool ocean waters, when out of nowhere—like, without even the common courtesy of the “Jaws” theme song to offer a fair warning—you find yourself right next to a shark.

Your immediate response? SWIM AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN.

Though this survival instinct is completely understandable, sit back and allow two experts to explain why that’s a bad idea.

Kayleigh Grant and Andriana Fragola are both trained scuba divers who have had their fair amount of dealings with all sorts of aquatic creatures, including sharks.

A recent video clip of theirs has been swimming around the internet because it perfectly demonstrates how to safely avoid a shark attack—using a real-life shark.

A group of sharks swimming in the oceanPhoto by Alexey Komissarov on Unsplash

On camera we see Fragola being approached by a tiger shark while in Oahu, Hawaii.

Meanwhile Grant’s voice can be heard saying, “Andy is demonstrating why we do not want to splash and swim away from sharks.”

She continued, “Splashing and swimming away imitates what prey does. When we’re dealing with top predators like sharks we want to also act like a predator.”

So, instead of trying to swim away, we see Fragola calmly turn around and face the creature while maintaining eye contact.

She even manages the bravest snoot boop of all time—reaching out and pushing the tiger shark’s nose to redirect it. Apparently this is strictly a “tiger shark” thing, so please don’t go trying this technique with a great white.

And in case it’s not obvious: While it’s great that these two pros can offer tips for interacting safely with apex predators, it’s still maybe not the best idea to go seeking out these types of encounters. In fact, both divers repeatedly use the “do not attempt” disclaimer on many of their videos.

a shark swimming in an aquarium with its mouth openPhoto by Efe Yağız Soysal on Unsplash

This hack does come at an opportune time, considering the supposed recent uptick in recorded shark interactions along the United States East Coast, for reasons that are still under debate.

However, Grant did advise in her caption that "just like bears and other predators,” sharks "typically want nothing to do with humans" and are "not the man-eating monsters the media portrays.”

Both Grant and Fragola are passionate about shark conservation. Fragola makes handcrafted jewelry using removed fishing lines, and Grant offers underwater safari tours exploring reefs and sea caves.

Plus, both their TikTok channels are full of breathtaking footage that’ll make you love and respect these toothy beasts.

Check these out:

@mermaid.kayleigh *I am a trained professional DO NOT ATTEMPT* One of my favorite ways for a #tigershark to approach is vertically. Every situation & approach from a #shark is different so you need to keep looking all around & anticipating a shark from any direction. ⚡️ 🎥 @andriana_marine #savesharks #sharkdiver #sharkdiving #sharkdive #nikkithetigershark #hawaii #ocean ♬ solitude - favsoundds
@andriana_marine #shark #ocean #scoochinrighthere ♬ original sound - jaycehardy
@andriana_marine Replying to @maddie karis #ocean #shark #sharkdiver #thalassophobia ♬ Lofi - Domknowz


Plus there's some bite-sized education:

@mermaid.kayleigh Such a cruel & evil practice to torture & kill an animal without the intent to eat it! This must stop #hawaii 😭 #oceanicwhitetip #sharks #savesharks #sharkdiving #sharkdive #sharkdiver #diving #freediving #freedive #ocean ♬ Love You So - The King Khan & BBQ Show
@andriana_marine Replying to @Ekp #shark #tigershark #sharkdiver #cuteshark ♬ Moon - Fernan Birdy

And of course—it’s not all shark-oriented. Grant and Fragola’s channels are veritable treasure troves of aquatic gems.

@andriana_marine #ocean #mermaid #siren #deepwater #thalassophobia #dive #mermaidmagic ♬ Siren - Filip Lackovic
@mermaid.kayleigh Always so crazy to think about how much below me is #darkness 😳 the light rays are so beautiful at the surface though 😍 #ocean #deepwater #hawaii #bluewater ♬ Stranger Things - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein

Bless these gals for not only passing on valuable safety tips, but for sharing the ocean’s wonders with the rest of the world.


This article originally appeared on 8.29.22

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Health

Afghanistan War veteran walks thousands of miles around Lake Michigan to prevent military suicide

He pledges to keep walking as long as he's needed.

via TravisHikesAroundLakeMI/Facebook

Travis Snyder has trekked more than 2,200 miles around Lake Michigan.

True

Veteran suicides are on the rise in America. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the suicide rate increased by nearly 36% from 2001 to 2019. Since the onset of the "war on terror" in 2001, more than 30,000 active duty personnel have died by suicide—that’s four times greater than the number killed in action.

Marine veteran Travis Snyder was enlisted in the military for six years and served in Afghanistan as a corporal from October 2017 to April 2018 and is no stranger to the pain of veteran suicide. Snyder lost a friend and fellow veteran to it in 2019.

He’s also had his own mental health struggles.

After leaving the military and losing a friend, he discovered his new purpose in life, to help other veterans dealing with mental health issues.

“Up until that point in my unit, we had lost others before my time of service, but that was my first time experiencing loss up close. Once we lost Jeff I would say I just felt led to do something and walking and hiking was the best thing I knew how to do,” Snyder told WGVU News.

So Snyder decided to do something dramatic. In 2019, he walked 810 miles of shoreline around Lake Michigan in 42 days to raise awareness for mental health resources and veteran suicide prevention. In 2020, he walked 210 miles of shoreline and in 2021, another 200. This year, Snyder had his longest walk of 900 miles around the lake.

Snyder uses the attention he gets from his monumental walks to raise money for Mission 22, a nonprofit that helps veterans with mental health treatment and support.

On all four of Snyder’s walks, he’s been impressed with the kindness of those he’s encountered around the lake.

“The first year I was going to hike, I didn’t tell too many folks what I was doing. I was merely going to commemorate our comrade we lost to suicide and hoped to reach a few people along the way. I had all of my camping gear and was ready to rough it wherever I could,” he told Upworthy.

“However, with help from Facebook, word of mouth, and other platforms, thousands of people have gathered around each venture, with a desire to contribute one way or another; whether it be a meal, a roof, a bed, or just a word of encouragement. I’m very grateful when I share that after four walks and 2240 total miles, I have yet to resort to camping out somewhere for a night. I have always had a bed, or place to stay whether it be a home or hotel,” he continued.

Snyder’s favorite spot on his heroic walks is Fayette Historic State Park in Garden, Michigan.

“At one point it was a bustling community that manufactured iron in the late 19th century, but was abandoned and is now basically a ghost town,” he told Upworthy. “However, the surrounding cliff faces, clear waters, and alluring scenery make it a must. When I went, there was no one around so it really added to the eerie yet beautiful vibe!”

Snyder wouldn’t be able to raise money without Meta tools. He adds a donate button to his Facebook posts which allows his followers to support and donate to the Mission 22 organization. Facebook is the best tool he has for keeping his followers up to date on his walks.

"Thanks to Facebook and the tools and resources that Facebook provides, I was able to set a small stage, and build a small following, a community of folks that want to tie into this cause and contribute in their own way," Travis has shared.

Facebook also allows people to join him on his journeys.

“I do my best to be consistent and to the point with my posts, so that followers are able to both stay interested and engaged. But also so that they don’t miss anything that I’m sharing; whether that be updates on the walk itself or new information in the world of veteran mental health,” he told Upworthy.

Many of Snyder’s followers on social media are veterans of wars including Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Vietnam.

Snyder hopes his walks will help inspire a dialog about mental health and encourage civilians and vets to have discussions about this challenging topic.

via TravisHikesAroundLakeMI/Facebook

“I hope that the stigma behind the term ‘PTSD’ doesn’t prevent civilians from interacting or being willing to have a conversation with a veteran,” he told Upworthy. “Veterans who experience these mental health injuries are not weak for speaking up, but rather it’s the act of opening up and sharing these experiences that are saving lives, by encouraging more and more to speak up as well.”

He also hopes people learn that PTSD isn’t the only mental health struggle veterans face.

“Mental health challenges come in all forms, and levels of intensity,” he told Upworthy. “Some that experience challenges are working through serious obstacles such as suicidal tendencies, schizophrenia and depression. But some are merely experiencing anxiety, trouble sleeping and stress.”

Snyder is looking to walk even further in 2023 with either a 1,000-mile trek around Lake Michigan or, possibly, a journey around Lake Superior, which would take as long as four months.

“Trust me, the desire is there, and as long as we keep losing our loved ones to suicide,” he told Upworthy, “the calling and the need will continue to be there as well."

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Writer Joel L. Daniels shares his powerful story of how the Suicide Prevention Lifeline saved his life

via Business Insider

The United States' suicide rate was at its highest since World War II before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Lawmakers and health experts worry that the intense economic and social pressures that have resulted from the pandemic will exacerbate this problem even further.

One of the most effective ways that people suffering from suicidal ideation and psychological distress can get immediate help is by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255). This call center provides free, confidential emotional support form trained experts and volunteers.

It's an easy way to get help without having to wait. Ninety-seven percent of all calls are picked up within 75 seconds of the initial phone greeting.

Every year, the lifeline helps over a million people, 25% of whom are in suicidal distress. Author Joel L. Daniels is one of the lifeline's many success stories. His experience saved his life, so he's created a video to let people know how it can save theirs, too.

Instead Of Killing Myself, I Called A Suicide Hotlinewww.youtube.com

"I don't use that phrase like it saved my life, um gingerly, but I mean that suicide hotline phone call, it saved my life," Daniels says in the video.

Daniels was riding the bus in New York City when he began to feel "crazy." He was in a panic, wanted to take his clothes off, jump off the bus, and was seriously considering harming himself.

He reached out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and immediately felt "affirmed" by his counselor.

"I just felt overwhelmed and busy between work, between life, between fatherhood, between not really knowing what I was doing and in that moment it felt like it was going to be easier to not be here," he says.

The counselor listened to Daniels without judgment and told him he was going to be okay.

via Unsplash

"Listening without judgement, without bias, without prejudice," he continued. "That suicide hotline phone calls saved my life and I wish I could remember the sister's name, who I spoke to because she was so warm. She was so loving. She was so comforting. She sounded like a black auntie."

The counselor allowed Daniels space to vent which was exactly what he needed.

"It was less questions and more affirming," he continued. "It was just something I needed and I don't know if anybody else does because there's that level of shame you feel essentially when you're trying to tell a person that you care about that I essentially want to harm myself because then it's very easy, unfortunately, for people who do know you to start blaming themselves."

He says he was able to make it through the episode because he was given the opportunity to speak his mind without worring about bias, fear, or judgment. The "the suicide hotline did that for me for sure," he says.

Daniels is grateful that he was given the space to clear his mind during a traumatic episode and hopes that others in the same situation will take advantage of the opportunity the lifeline provides as well.

"I feel like it's kind of my duty to kind of share that with other people," he concludes the video.

If you are experiencing a suicidal crisis or emotional distress, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7 free and confidential emotional support at 1-800-273-8255 (Veterans, press 1).

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