Hi Greg -
With a seemingly unprecedented number of attacks and sightings locally, this video got my attention. It’s actually pretty convincing. I’m going to buy a couple.
The notion that magnets can be used for healing has existed since humans discovered them.
Magnetic charms, bracelets, insoles, and braces remain popular and are sold with claims that they improve athletic performance, relieve arthritis pain, increase energy, and pretty much treat whatever symptoms you might have. These products may seem modern and high-tech, but similar devices and claims have been around for centuries.
It is eternally frustrating that scientific evidence and academic acceptance of medical claims seem to have no bearing on the marketing and popular appeal of those claims. This disconnect appears to be especially true of claims for magnetic devices and treatments-and it has survived for centuries.
And now they repel sharks.
Good luck with that. (Sorry, I naturaly question everything).
I hope it does since its much needed .
WTF - upon further reading I came across this:
“As an ambush predator which attacks from a long distance and at high speed, the great white shark is the only species the band claims to be “ineffective” against.”
Great Whites are precisely the species about which I am most worried. HAHA
The sharks appeared to be carrabean reef sharks , not associated with attacks on humans , I would like to see a Sharkbanz attached to a seal near the Farralon islands befor I put any credence to the claims , I cant imagine a magnet putting off a hungry great white , but I hope it works .
Me too. That, and Tiger Sharks, in Hawai’i. May as well add Hammerheads to the mix, they’re showing up all over So. Cal. now too.
quote=johnmellor]
WTF - upon further reading I came across this:
“As an ambush predator which attacks from a long distance and at high speed, the great white shark is the only species the band claims to be “ineffective” against.”
Great Whites are precisely the species about which I am most worried. HAHA
[/quote]
Hey John, I was recently at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium and the docent there said that GWS need 60 feet of water to attack from below in breech mode. I felt kind of relieved. But I asked about the attacks on surfers and swimmers and he said they are probably cases of “investigative” bites. Sharks investigate an unknown entity with their mouth, by tasting it. So maybe the Sharkbanz might still work.
There is a known GWS repellent- another dead GWS. The smell of death. You have to watch this Nat Geo video about an orca attacking a GWS. But you have to find the full documentary, not just the clip of the orca attack. What happens is that after the attack (at the Farallones) ALL the GWS bail and based on the movements of the tagged sharks they hightailed it to Hawaii…at a depth of 2000 feet (where the orcas cannot get them). In reality GWS are pussies!
They somehow synthesized the smell of death with other shark species and it’s an incredible repellent. LAter I saw a segment of “Mythbusters” on the science channel where they were testing various shark repellents and only the smell of death worked (they tried to broadcast the sound of orcas but that had no effect.
So the ifrst person who can bottle the smell of dead GWSs might make a bundle…
Two sharks I fear…
Tigers in da Islands
Hammerheads here!
Both just generally pissed off fish!
I am in So Cal.
and keeping my feet on the deck these days!
Great Whites?
No worry, eh
you just need to survive the “taste test”.
O.K… Greg, Who wants to volunteer to test this DO-DAD against the swimming trash can with teeth?
I have spent the last 24 years studying and teaching about sharks. In all that time, I have never seen or heard about any shark repellant that was effective against all species of sharks. Reef sharks like in the vid are opportunistic predators that will scavenge and are attracted by blood and sound. My prof. mentor Dr. Don Neilsen proved this back in the 70’s and was featured on numerous TV shows at the time. I have seen proof that they are sensitive to stimuli that affects their senses but the effect is temporary and they always return to their “home territory”. Tiger sharks are what are known as “bite & feed” predators that don’t have a specific menu imprint like most sharks and if it looks good, tastes good, they will eat it no matter what it is. (Refer to “Jaws”, theTiger stuff is real science in spite of all the other Hollywood crap) Great Whites are primarily sight predators, although they will scavenge as most predators do, namely on dead whales, and if you fit the target, bam! They also wait until the prey is dead or almost dead and follow the scent trail back to the carcass to finish feeding. Very few humans are “eaten” by GW, as most leave the water right after the attack. The Monterey, CA boogie boarder is an exception as the body was never found. I have been in the water with a few juvinile GW’s and they are focused on fish & sting-rays as prey, not humans on surfboards. Today we had a sighting of a hammerhead off the Malibu pier. My personal opinion is that we will never have a repellant that will work for all sharks. Maybe that might be a clue to how to reduce these insane crowds! Just my 2c…
No Sharks Here
So Cal here…
With the warm water comes
Well I was hoping Ono.
But I got my feet on the deck lately…
Other than Tigers I know Hammerheads
are always pissed off…
Been using
bottom Camouflage to break up the profile for years!
That’ll FLY!
And BTW sk8ment, Killer work!!!
Just hate being a snack!
All shark protecting devices have proof of effectivness and its contrary… because as Surfteach said, every species have its habits and attack paterns.
The shark-shield is not really user friendly…
The sharkbanz have the benefits to be cheap compared to other systems which cost hundreds of $ so even if it does not work on every species it’s not too much of a money waste.
If they make deliveries to EU, i’ll probably have 1 or 2 for when i’ll go back to tropical waters… tigers and bulldog sharks… very friendly…
Z.