One Dangerous Aspect Of Survivor You Don't See On The Show
Being a contestant on CBS's hit series "Survivor" is not all sunshine and rainbows. Competitors have to go through a lot (both mentally and physically) during the filming of each season, and some aspects of the show are actually quite dangerous — like the lack of food and exposure to harsh elements. In fact, one of the most frightening moments of all time on the show occurred during "Survivor: Kaoh Rong" when three contestants simultaneously got heat stroke after a challenge and dropped to the ground. However, according to Elaine Stott (a Season 39 contestant) in an interview with Business Insider, one of the dangers of being a contestant on "Survivor" that isn't necessarily shown on screen is the marine life.
Specifically, Stott mentioned sharks as being a major hazard. Because contestants tend to spend so much time in the water either looking for food, cooling down, or going to the bathroom, being unknowingly surrounded by sharks seems to be a pretty common occurrence. While the sharks usually leave humans alone, Stott had a terrifying encounter when she was in the water with fellow competitor Aaron Meredith and was "almost bit in the face" by one, according to what she told Business Insider. Luckily, Stott managed to get away and escaped the encounter unharmed.
How big of a danger are sharks to contestants?
As it turns out, the waters of Fiji (where most seasons of "Survivor" now take place) are full of sharks due to the abundance of marine life around the islands. However, the only shark attack ever recorded on the show happened during the first "All Stars" season which was filmed in Panama. The specific incident took place in Episode 3, when Richard Hatch went into the ocean looking for food. As he was unable to catch a stingray, he decided to pull a juvenile shark out of its hiding place in the reef. In self-defense, the shark bit Hatch on the arm. Although the bite left a mark, the shark was so small that it didn't end up causing much damage and Hatch was able to continue participating in the game.
However, as contestants spend quite a bit of time in the water surrounded by sharks, it's interesting that the Richard Hatch incident is the only shark encounter on "Survivor" that ended in injury. While the reason behind this could be because shark attacks in general are quite a rare occurrence, as some fans on Reddit theorize, another possible explanation is that the contestants are surrounded by crew members at all times who could easily warn them of any nearby danger and get them out of harm's way before anything goes wrong.