Surfboards with bright lights could deter shark attacks
Updated | By AFP
Covering your surfboard in bright lights sounds like an open invitation to great white sharks, but research released on Tuesday by Australian scientists found it might actually stave off attacks.
Biologist Laura Ryan said the predator often attacked its prey from underneath, occasionally mistaking a surfer's silhouette for the outline of a seal.
Ryan and her fellow researchers showed that seal-shaped boards decked with bright horizontal lights were less likely to be attacked by great white sharks.
This appeared to be because the lights distorted the silhouette on the ocean's surface, making it appear less appetising.
WATCH: Woman finds live dung beetle in son's cereal
"There is this longstanding fear of white sharks, and part of that fear is that we don't understand them that well," said Ryan, from Australia's Macquarie University.
The study, published in the journal 'Current Biology', was conducted in the waters of South Africa's Mossel Bay, a popular great white feeding ground.
Seal-shaped decoys were strung with different configurations of LED lights and towed behind a boat to see which attracted the most attention.
Brighter lights were better at deterring sharks, the research found, while vertical lights were less effective than horizontal.
Ryan said the results were better than expected and is now in the process of building prototypes for use on the underside of kayaks and surfboards.
Australia has some of the world's most comprehensive shark management measures, including monitoring drones, shark nets, and a tagging system that alerts authorities when a shark is near a crowded beach.
READ: Swipe payments at N4 toll gates to be terminated
Ryan said her research could allow less invasive mitigation methods to be used.
More research was needed to see if bull and tiger sharks - which have different predatory behaviour - responded to the lights in a similar way, the authors said.
There have been more than 1,200 shark incidents in Australia since 1791, of which 255 resulted in death, official data shows.
Great white sharks were responsible for 94 of those deaths.
Tune in to the 'Breakfast with Martin Bester', on weekdays from 06:00 - 09:00. Stream the show live here or download our mobile app here.
Listen to Jacaranda FM:
- 94.2
- Jacaranda FM App
- http://jacarandafm.com
- DStv 858/ OpenView 602
Follow us on social media:
IMAGE: iStock
MORE FROM JACARANDA FM
Show's Stories
-
New WhatsApp bank card launches in SA
A new bank card has been launched that will enable South Africans to man...
The Drive with Rob & Roz 4 hours ago -
Cambridge Dictionary reveals its 2024 word of the year
This year's Cambridge Dictionary word of the year is all about positive ...
The Drive with Rob & Roz 4 hours ago