[ferretchucker]

I have a fascination of sharks. They're so elegant and represent the chaotic and unpredictability in life, as they're so alien when put against our day to day lives.

On my recent diving trip to the red sea we were hoping to see sharks, but due to weather conditions we couldn't go far enough south to get to their regular areas. We would have most likely seen them years ago, but the numbers are constantly dropping. It's such a shame because they survived the fall of the Dinosaurs and the 64 million years in between, and it's us who are dooming them.

I came close to seeing one. Back in 2005, before I was a diver, on a holiday to America we visited Panama City Beach (not long after the hurricane) where we did a lot of snorkling. There was a helicopter going over head constantly. One week later, the day we got back to England, there was a shark attack there, and another a few days later.

But the attacks are rare and the deaths are rarer. It's all about respect. If you see them, don't be scared, but at the same time don't get too friendly with them either. Treat them with admiration and respect. As much as I love the film Jaws, it didn't help the sharks too much. I always watch documentaries about them if I see one on. They're just...fascinating.