What can you do if a shark attacks you?

• If you are in the water, remain calm. You cannot outswim a shark and sharks can sense fear.

• Keep your eye on the shark at all times. Sharks may retreat temporarily and then try to sneak up on you.

• If you can't get out of the water right away, try to reduce the shark's possible angles of attack.

• Fight. Playing dead doesn't work. A hard blow to the shark's gills, eyes, or, as a last resort, to the tip of its nose will cause the shark to retreat. If a shark continues to attack, or if it has you in its mouth, hit these areas repeatedly with hard jabs, and claw at the eyes and gills.

• If you are near shore, swim quickly, but smoothly. Thrashing will attract the shark's attention.

• Sharks have difficulty biting things that are vertical (their nose gets in the way) so avoid leaving your hands and feet loose or going horizontal to swim away from the shark.

• Sharks can't breathe out of water, so, if possible, hold the bitten part of your body out of the water, and get their gills into the air and they will let go of you.

• Sharks tend to thrash prey around to tear chunks out of it, so you should latch on to the shark.

• Repress the urge to scream. Screaming will not deter the shark much and may provoke it further.