From magnets to smelly wax, eye-stickers to electric fields, shark deterrents have hit the market in a big way.
"That's the missing piece in the shark deterrent landscape. In effect anybody can market a safety device and make wild claims [about its efficacy] and that's allowed." When there were no deterrent devices attached to the boards, great white sharks took the bait 96 per cent of the time. That's out of nearly 300 tests.
"People assume that when the electric deterrent did not work, it was because the shark was approaching at full speed in a 'predatory mode'. But even in that situation, we often saw the deterrent stop the shark and preventing it biting." A sharks' snout contains electroreceptors called ampullae of Lorenzini — tube-like structures full of thick fluid — that can pick up tiny electrical and magnetic fields. The theory is electric and electromagnetic deterrent devices overwhelm or confuse the shark.
Cyclists paint or stick shapes to the back of helmets in an attempt to ward off the dive-bombing birds.In nature, some species have evolved patterns that look like eyes. The fact those patterns have been evolutionarily selected for indicates they convey some sort of advantage. "A predator will target that big 'eye' thinking it's the head, but because it's not a vital area, the fish is still able to swim away and survive, even though it may be injured.""It might actually heighten the risk.