SEAL Survival Guide (54 page)

Additionally, the ocean has other ways of tricking your mind. Because of the constant motion, you may become seasick. Do what you can to limit this, because vomiting will only accelerate dehydration. You can minimize seasickness by focusing your eyes on a fixed space in the distance, which helps you regain a sense of equilibrium. Lying down can also help to relieve symptoms. Another common effect of spending too many days at sea is hallucinations. Try to use tricks to pull the mind back to a state of reality. Perhaps recite the names of all your friends, or make lists of some kind. Given the condition and environment you are in, though, you may just need to accept these mind tricks and even try to be amused by them.

The Long Haul

As soon as you left the vessel, your mindset should have gone into a prioritizing and conserving mode: “I may be out here for a very long time.” Remember this checklist:

 Stay positive.

 Occupy time with goals to keep you alive another day, such as fishing, water collection, and production.

 Conserve energy: If you’re not actively doing something, then sleep.

 Inventory supplies, set ration limits, and generally conserve resources.

 Focus on achieving little victories: View each drop of water collected or each fish caught as a big deal.

 If with others, prop one another up. Stay strong as a group. Weakness or a breakdown will eventually come to each individual. It is up to the others in the group to boost them back up.

Shark Attack

Another danger you need to deal with while lost at sea is sharks. Although we like to think we are at the top of the food chain, when we are in the ocean that is no longer the case. Sharks are the masters of this environment. Although the fear of sharks, thanks to news media and films, is much greater than the chances of actually getting attacked by one, shark attacks do happen and could create a life-or-death situation. There are more than 360 species of sharks, but only a few are given to attacking humans. Most fatal encounters are caused by great whites, tiger sharks, bull sharks, and white-tip sharks.

MYTHS

Sharks can’t smell one single drop of blood in the water from miles away, as many believe. However, a good amount of blood will surely cause sharks to congregate. Sharks are actually relatively cautious predators and will often circle their prey several times before attacking.

HOW TO PREVENT AN ATTACK

• Pay attention to warnings and be alert to reports of recent shark sightings or attacks in the area.

• Sharks are attracted to light colors that resemble fish. Cover up all skin, including arms and legs, with dark-colored clothing. Even the lighter soles of your bare feet are attractants.

• Remove any jewelry or watches that shine or reflect.

• Excessive splashing or movement will attract a shark’s attention.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE IN THE WATER AND YOU SEE A SHARK

1. Remain calm—your goal is obviously to get out of the water, but that is not necessarily the first thing you need to do.

2. Reduce excessive movement or splashing. Start your combat breathing: four-second inhalation, four-second exhalation. It would be a shame to die from drowning in this situation. If you start splashing wildly, you’ll look more like a meal. Don’t make erratic, sudden movements. This makes you look weak and wounded, which makes you more attractive-looking as prey to a shark.

3. Move away from the shark by doing a slow and steady reverse backstroke, with the bare soles of your feet downward.

4. Until you can get out of the water, keep your eye on the shark at all times. Unlike the case with dogs, this eye contact will not provoke an aggressive response. Be ready to get into a defensive position, but always adjust yourself so the front of your body is facing the shark. If you can put your back against a reef or drop-off in the seafloor, do so. If you are with someone else, get back-to-back, so you can see one or more sharks and defend from all directions.

5. Fight or flight: Similar to your chances of outrunning a grizzly bear, your chances of out-swimming a shark are minimal. However, unlike with a grizzly, if you play dead the shark won’t care and will continue to tear you up. You have no choice in this situation—
Fight like hell!
Punch, kick, elbow, knee, and stab at anything you can, paying particular attention to the eyes, nose, and gills. If you have a spear or pole or some type of weapon at least a couple of feet long, use it to fend off the shark. The best place to poke at a shark is from the gills forward. And when you strike the shark, let them know it with the maximum amount of force.