Do sharks follow cruise ships?

Somewhere between very few and zero. Cruise ships move far too fast for sharks to follow them. Yes, a shark may have a burst speed that could match a ship, but not one that it could sustain.



It is a persistent myth that sharks follow cruise ships to feed on trash or food scraps. In reality, modern cruise ships are strictly regulated by international maritime laws (MARPOL) that prohibit the dumping of plastic and most food waste into the ocean, meaning there is no "trail" of food for sharks to follow. Furthermore, sharks are sensitive to the noise and vibrations produced by the massive engines and cavitating propellers of a cruise ship, which typically acts as a deterrent rather than an attractant. While a shark might occasionally be spotted near a ship that is stationary or moving very slowly near a reef, they cannot maintain the average cruising speed of 20+ knots (approx. 23 mph) for long. Sharks have natural migration and hunting patterns based on prey availability and water temperature, and they do not deviate from these to follow large, noisy metal vessels that offer them no biological benefit or easy meals.

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The majority of cruise ships do not have specific man-overboard sensors, but they are becoming more common. 30 cruise ships owned by Carnival and Disney have been fitted with V-MOB sensors used to automatically alert the bridge of a man overboard incident.

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No, a rogue wave cannot tip over a cruise ship like in the movie Poseidon. While it is true that rogue waves can reach heights of up to 30 meters and have been known to cause damage to ships, they are not powerful enough to flip an entire vessel upside down.

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You're most likely to see dolphins whilst entering or leaving port, rather than in the open sea. These playful, highly intelligent animals will often follow the wake of a ship (the disturbance it causes as it cuts through the water).

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All cruise ships (regardless of where they sail) operate under international rules, known as Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), which regulate everything from fire safety to navigation and maritime security.

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Chrisos Taklis, a marine biologist and conservationist, says that no fatal shark attacks have been reported in this region in the past years and that the Mediterranean is one of the safest destinations regarding shark encounters worldwide.

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Within the last 111 years, over 20 cruise ships and ocean liners have sunk.

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Cruise ships are made of heavy steel, making them quite weighty. Add passengers and crew, and the ship is even heavier. With all this weight, the vessel can easily roll through rough waters or a rogue wave. It's more dangerous to be on an empty ship as the additional weight acts as a balancer in rough seas.

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