Shark repellant
No takers on this one? Maybe I should have posted it after an attack...
@RD,
It's now a hyperlink and all I did was look at it. This moderators gig is too easy.
Will look at the vid tonight.
@RD did a quick search and it seems someone is already producing a product based on that same theory http://repelsharks.com/, check out the videos they have of the repellent in action, the sharks literally bolt! Only shows testing on smaller reef sharks though. One thing I was wondering is if the scent used is from/based on a smaller species of shark would it actually attract larger species of shark? Aren't sharks cannibalistic? Would love to see it tested on great whites, tigers and bull sharks! Seems alot more promising than the electrical deterrents!
@RD Check this out http://www.sharkstopper.com/home#how, its an acoustic shark repellant, listen to sound the device makes in the video and then compare it to the sound a killer whale makes (
sounds similar to me, what do you reckon? Sounds pretty close JES. Hopefully they figured out what it means in Orca - I'd hate to evade a shark attack only to be killed by a pissed/horny killer whale.
Regarding the odour device, I'd love to know what it smells like. Hopefully its' not just concentrated carcass juice, but is a particular chemical they can isolate. I wonder if it attracts anything else?
Haha RD, that would be a bit unfortunate!
I was thinking the same thing RD, if it's a smell/chemical from smaller sharks could it attract or encourage attacks from larger sharks e.g. great whites, or maybe the pissed/horny/hungry killer whale!
So you need to make sure it is made from the flesh of the fiercest, most toothsome, white or tige in existence. The bigger and rarer the better. It's like Chinese blokes and rhinoceros horn - the rarer the animal the harder the erection... errr i mean the safer the water goer.
In terms of the smell/chemical aspect, I looked through http://www.sharktecdefense.com/ and their product's use of dead shark chemicals triggers a flight reaction in sharks. According to their website, sharks sense this chemical as a warning that they should get out of the area. So I doubt this would actually attract other marine life. Also, they talk about how it was tested on Great Whites (biggest of the big)
It sounds so promising, but I'd like there to be much more definitive intensive testing before I lather up in the stuff.
I saw something like this on 'Dirty Jobs' with Mike Rowe a few years back.... the researchers would collect shark carcasses, render certain chemicals out of the decaying flesh with heat and solvents, and then make a soluble capsule.... which was then fired ballistically out into the water by a beautiful hand-held air-cannon. Rad :)
But yeah, the scent of dead shark seemed to send them packing immediately. The instance in Alaska (I think) where some Orcas killed a great white kept the local sharks away from the area for over a month apparently.
Roubydouby and Timbot,
You are actually referring to the shark repellent being sold on sharktecdefense.com. They were featured on Dirty jobs along with SharkWeek and others. In terms of testing, I believe they have had results with over 20 species of sharks...if I find a link with more about their testing results then I will be sure to post it here.
Are you affiliated with shark defense allenteer? if so you should make mini spray can version like those tiny breath refresher ones but for surfers, or with a strap for your wrist.
Groundswell- They do offer a canister that is 4 inches in height and 3 inches in circumference, which fits easily in the palm of your hand. So you could easily attach a strap and put it on your wrist, wetsuit, or anywhere else.
I am not affiliated with SharkTec but I have seen their product in action and have bought some of their products for myself and my family. When I see comments about shark repellents, I think its my duty to weigh in on what is fact and fiction based on my real-world experiences- and SharkTec is indeed a fact.
@Allenteeter, do you just keep the canister on you in case you see a shark and then can release it, or do you release it when you get out hoping it will scare sharks from the area before you encounter any of them?
I think I read that after a great white shark was killed by an orca somewhere all the great whites in the area left and didn't return for 12 months. If all we have to do is release a can or 2 each surf session to keep everyone safe I reckon that would be money well spent in certain parts of the country. Could make it a gold coin donation to go for a surf to pay for the supplies haha
Hey Joel,
From my understanding the SharkTec product is intended to be used where there is a shark in the vicinity and when the person feels threatened enough to use the product to force the shark to flee. It is well documented that sharks will engage in exploratory behavior such as circling, splashing water, bumping, slapping with tail, etc before making a decision on whether to attack for food or for out of fear. This is more than enough time for an individual to deploy a SharkTec canister, which will cause the shark(s) to flee in seconds . You can see a live test by the scientists by watching
Thus, I do not think that it is feasible to release the repellent in hopes of scaring sharks away on a wide spread scale due to the uncertainty of the ocean and how large it is. I am sure if you had a SharkTec canister continuously releasing chemicals (the chemicals that cause a flight reaction in sharks) into the ocean like the Orca that you mentioned, then the sharks would not return for as long as those chemicals remained detected in the area. But the safest and most tested method is to use the repellents when a shark is in the area.
allenteeter wrote:Hey Joel,
From my understanding the SharkTec product is intended to be used where there is a shark in the vicinity and when the person feels threatened enough to use the product to force the shark to flee. It is well documented that sharks will engage in exploratory behavior such as circling, splashing water, bumping, slapping with tail, etc before making a decision on whether to attack for food or for out of fear. This is more than enough time for an individual to deploy a SharkTec canister, which will cause the shark(s) to flee in seconds . You can see a live test by the scientists by watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2UCE3xOeto#t=84
Thus, I do not think that it is feasible to release the repellent in hopes of scaring sharks away on a wide spread scale due to the uncertainty of the ocean and how large it is. I am sure if you had a SharkTec canister continuously releasing chemicals (the chemicals that cause a flight reaction in sharks) into the ocean like the Orca that you mentioned, then the sharks would not return for as long as those chemicals remained detected in the area. But the safest and most tested method is to use the repellents when a shark is in the area.
Cheers mate, thanks for the clarification, definitely looks like it would at least give you enough time to get somewhere safe, knock on wood you never have to test out how well it works yourself.
Haha yea more effective and about 1/4 cheaper than most of the electronic deterrent devices. I am knocking on wood that I never have to use it either but I will always carry one on me in case it is needed for me or for anyone in my group. I hope others have that mentality as well!!
You guys do realize that Great Whites are attack predators and use the element of surprise ? Most surfers that get attacked never new what hit them, most people that have a close encounter don't get attacked. I can't see the point in the canister, at best it will leave a bad taste in it's mouth when it punctures it as it bites through your torso.
Has anyone looked at Shark shield or the Hawaiian version ESDS?
Alan SA, sharksheild has been covered a few times on swellnet, put sharksheild into the search function.
Thanks mate , new to site. cheers
Tom Carroll is now part of the shark shield team.
Paying a high profile ex world champ on the team will ensure the high quality of this product, like quiksilver wetsuits I was always comforted in the knowledge that they were hand stitched by Tommy himself.
Perhaps they could prove that it is also environmentally friendly by paying Rasta to be on the team.
it may be a silly question but what do the pros use if anything, or is the break just patrolled heavily? ive never heard of there being any close calls or encounters in a pro event
jbay ? Taj Burrows I think sighted a large GWS in a heat, if any where you would think in South Africa they would use them in a comp.
Wasn't shark shield invented in S Africa ?
I've used shark shields before - they are pretty impractical in their current incantation - but who knows how they will develop in the future.
I thought it was interesting that the smell of a decaying great white drove all of the other whites away from the area. As Morris correctly pointed out, having a canister of repellant spray is pretty useless against a white pointer that has already taken your leg off - but what about the use of the repellant to drive sharks from the area prior to surfing? More permanent installations of chemical secreting devices at popular beaches (that perhaps play orca noises?). Maybe we can carve out a bit of near shore territory where sharks don't dare?
Just a thought.
just found this
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2575241/Monster-great-white-shar...
interesting
It's hard to know where reality ends and fear begins, Alan. That article is pretty suggestive - Lakey and Steph under threat! The horde was at the gates!
Or are the hordes always at the gates and they aren't actually trying to break in?
I'm not particularly concerned about sharks personally (this is region dependent mind you), I just thought the idea of a repellant grounded in science an interesting avenue. It could be a minimally-invasive way of mitigating risk.
'It's hard to know where reality ends and fear begins, Alan.'
'True, 'journo's' can sell some entertaining, and extremely alarming tales. I read one supposedly 'scientific' article published by a 'reliable on the sauce' recently, where a musclebound terminator, armed with just a boogyboard, attacked a pack of surfers in the middle of Sydney, before being dispatched and chased away!!!...??? Apparently there's hordes of them!!! Psychiatrists were present, and the episode was endorsed by Big Brother of all things!!!
Rouby, WA scientists were supposedly going to trail the orca calls under water to scare off GWS in January this year ...don't know if they ever did have heard nothing more about it .
1980 did dive course. Tweed hds first openwater training dive, near a marine prk inlet. 30ft on the bottom was a 4ft reef shark(?) dead, instructor said it was there for a week or so and did'nt say anything to see how we react, but he said if there's ever a dead shark on the bottom it will spook ALL other sharks away and won't come back till it's moved on or gone.
Ireckon these ppl are onto somethig here, cos this instructor was serious.
Ah there's our solution then! Just weight a fake 'dead' shark to the bottom at your favourite surf spot. Presto!
Your old area Ben glenelg tyre reef would be a good GWS deterrant trail area close to shore rarely inclement ocean weather , seems every time a scuba party have a dive a GWS shows up , one earlier this month 3.5mtrs came in for a nosy at 2 divers ..left and then came back again. GWS in that gulf seems be a year round thing and not seasonal in any way.
i wonder why a dead shark smell or whatever would deter other sharks, when sharks eat other sharks as part of they're normal diet.
shark attack fatality in Qld....
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-15/fatal-shark-attack-on-rudder-reef-...
Terrible news
Yeah, Alan-SA... Would've been more of a headline but for other tragedies.... R.I.P dude....
Chillax -shark detterant surf wax.
Good as any other idea being floated at the moment.
Chillax detterant soon to be tested at Neptune islands with the inventor so confident in his product he is keen to be in the water for the testing .
Lets hope it works for his sake.......and ours.
Theres already a proven shark repellent.
Holy sardine WharfJ, I can use my BRUT spray !
Wired magazine - shark scent detterant
Indigenous repellents were varied but consistent.
Upon a headland a woman elder would siren the dolphins to rainbow swimming children.
Similar to the fishermen squelching spears to echo locate dolphin friends for mullet run.
Crossing rivers was done swiftly in numbers .
If one crossed alone... pebbles were sourced from dilly bag to skim a path ahead.
Hunting required diving which often meant separation from the group.
Here is when *Plant Based Repellents were used to Ward off Sharks.
*Deterrent...Northern Cypress Pine shavings were scattered to provide a safer swim area.
This being a common trait for all sailors and watermen.
*Odour...Wattle infused (Sauna) before diving
*Shield...Wattle belts were worn by divers to repel sharks (Native Indians wore Torote belts)
*Decoy...Purple Beach Garlands looped divers necks extending into extra long floral trains.
OK ! So what does it all mean?
Natives know trees repelling drought/flood/insects make tough weapons.(Boomerangs etc)
Only logical that the same tough trees could ward off toughest Beast.(Good a plan as any?)
The reason is not superstitious but 100% science based.
These same trees OZ (Acacia) or US (Torote) boast potent tannin/Resin/Gum.
All permeate in water like Turpentine. Or if you like... A drop in the Ocean.
The branch belts are of certain size & shape. No doubt blanched to maximize chemical trail.
Canoe'wattle fires' protect diver with pungent waterproof vapour then to smoke his catch.
Back to that lightweight Purple Floral neck scarf.
Grows central to northern east coast, so also quite possibly a wide spread Shark Deterrent
Apparently the vines train up to several metres... Enough to buy 9 lives easy.
Not hard to imagine that the diver un- loops a lei per chomp...so on until it's Bon Voyage!
Failing that it's great for Stingray/Stonefish relief. (Soft Touch but Heavy Duty Allrounder)
So there you have it...I laid out the facts then led you all up the garden path.
Now we sit & wait for fellow Swellnetonian to step in & make sense of all this.
Disclaimer: [Organic Shark Elixirs were proven 100% effective in all Wave Pools Tested]
That’s fascinating TBB thanks for sharing
Cheers goofyfoot : (Your Shark Free starter pack contains...)
* A tin of Acacia Surfboard Resin
* Cake of Cypress Pine Surf Wax
* Endless Purple vine to twine your Legrope .
* Acacia Massage Oil/Shampoo sachet
* Bonus Shark Net...Simply unroll & mat it with sea grass .(Nemo swears by it!)
Disclaimer: ( Not tested outside Swellnet bathtub don't try this at your local break)
TBB you are a godsend...
Gum arabic - it actually is a thing...
Hey crew,
Around the 39 minute mark of this doco (
they started talking about great whites fleeing en masse from an area where killer whales had killed a great white. They narrowed down the reason as being due to a chemical given off by the rotting corpse of the dead great white, after which they created an odeur of great white and tested it as a repellant, which seemed to work.Interested to hear thoughts, opinions, experiences.
ps - if whoever moderates wants to turn that above url into a hyperlink, that'd just be aces.