'Don't believe the hype': 'Byron Baes' star Elias Chigros reveals chilling shark encounter as he debunks common myth about dolphins
BYRON BAY, AUSTRALIA: 'Byron Baes' star Elias Chirgos revealed his chilling encounter with a shark while enjoying his surfing at Byron Bay in Australia. The actor shared this news through his Instagram handle and also bashed the misconception that states there won't be any sharks in the water if dolphins are around.
The actor was recently featured in 'Love Island Australia.' However, the terrifying incident is shared by Chigros merely days after an Australian tourist, Chris Davis, was viciously mauled to death by a monster tiger shark in New Caledonia.
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What did Elias Chigros explain in the video?
Chigros said on Instagram live, "It happened to me today when I was in the water. There's a huge pod of dolphins really close by, cruising about 50 meters away. I paddled a bit further out waiting for some surf and a huge shark just cruised straight under me. Not huge. It was actually quite a small shark. It just cruised. Super straight and steady. Completely different build, so solid and right next to the dolphins. So don't believe the hype. Alright common misconception, if there are dolphins in the water there are no sharks and that is absolute bullsh*t." Chigros also claimed that he was more worried about the sharks you "don't see" in the water.
What are experts' opinions on the misconception?
Andrew Nosal, a shark expert at the University of San Diego, claims, "This is a myth." Stephen Kajiura, a shark expert at Florida Atlantic University, said, "If you see dolphins, more often than not, there might be sharks in that same area." "While dolphins and sharks generally swim side by side "minding their own business," dolphins occasionally antagonize sharks when they feel threatened, Kajiura said. These more aggressive dolphins will ram sharks with their noses, or slam into them with the whole force of their bodies. Sharks sometimes even swim away from encounters bruised and battered. Dolphin-shark face-offs are more the exception than the norm," said Kajiura. "Swimmers need to have the right attitude about swimming in the ocean. There's no such thing as 'shark infested waters.' The sharks live in the ocean. That is their home," said Nosal, as per Live Science.
What is the current state of shark attacks worldwide?
Only fifty-seven unprovoked bites were reported in 2022, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s Florida Program for Shark Research report. "Generally speaking, the number of sharks in the world’s oceans has decreased, which may have contributed to recent lulls. It's also likely fatalities are down because some areas have recently implemented rigorous beach safety protocols, especially in Australia," said Gavin Naylor, the research program director. Meanwhile, New York has a record-breaking eight shark bites along its beaches last year. However, shark bites dropped again worldwide in 2022.
