The shark fin—native to its ocean habitat and symbol of horror films.
© DigitalStorm/Thinkstock

Creative Thinkers Invent Shark Repellent

Ahhhh. A beach vacation with adventure—

Catching a wave in Australia

Diving in Hawaii’s coral reef

Kayaking the coast of California

You won’t be alone . . . dunah . . . dunah. That’s right, there will be other tourists there too! And of course, marine life, possibly sharks.

Surfers, who decide to play in the playground of a predator, are used to taking a ration of fear along for the ride. But now ocean enthusiasts and other creative thinkers have teamed up to develop a shark repellent that relaxes the mind and eliminates the fear for surfers.

And it just might provide an answer for coexisting with sharks, who are essential animals in the ocean environment.

Beach tourism is no longer two chairs on an empty beach.
© BlackEyedDog/Thinkstock

Too Much Fun In the Sun?

Why are shark attacks on the increase? The number of people in coastal waters has skyrocketed. For example, Toronga Conservation Society of Australia reports this population increase for Australia:

• 1900  =  3.7 million
• 1950  =  8.3 million
• 1990  =  17 million
• 2011  =  22.7 million
• 2014  =  23.5 million

Of course, more people going into the water will result in a higher chance for contact with marine life, including sharks.

Where there is an ocean to play in, there are surfers ready to play. 
© Anthony Ong

The recent rise in shark attacks has set in motion reactions from governments, organizations, scientists, surfers, and other ocean enthusiasts.

The goal: reinstate a relaxed vibe by protecting ocean goers. Meeting this goal can manifest itself in government plans for shark culling—the trapping and killing of sharks—or lenient policies on hunting sharks for their fins. Even as shark numbers are decreasing, 100 million are being killed annually for shark fin soup in Asia.

But, what about the sharks?

Step into the Fins of a Shark

Sharks get a bad rap for simply surviving in their habitat. 

Consider Hollywood horror movies like Jaws, Jaws 2, Cruel Jaws, and Jurassic Shark. In my opinion, they are due for a required disclaimer:

Beware! Side effects may include an irrational fear of the ocean and demonization of the shark species. Watch at your own risk.  

In a real shark attack, the media often portrays the survivor as hero and the shark as villain. But it’s not that simple.

In reality, humans depend on sharks for keeping a natural balance in the ocean.

Sharks are to be revered and respected in their blue home.
© Ajlber/Thinkstock

Sharks have been on earth for over 200 million years; humans, 200,000 years. We need sharks around because they eat marine animals that are sick and weak, leaving a healthier animal population in the ocean for the food we eat. Humans, as it turns out, are only accidental prey.

Graffiti in Wellington, New Zealand, protests shark finning and illustrates the first smiling shark.
© Nathan Garrison

Elyse Frankcom, who was bitten by a shark while guiding a scuba tour, supports shark protection. She explains that government money is better spent on investing in a solution that not only thinks about human safety but will also “preserve the wildlife in the ocean that’s a natural beauty and belongs there.”

Like-minded people began asking, “Might there be a way to protect both the ocean enthusiasts and the sharks?” That’s when the creative thinkers got going, and the idea of shark repellent was born.

The Science Behind Shark Repellent

Surfers, scientists and ocean enthusiasts put their heads together to invent products that allow people to have fun in the sun while protecting sharks living in their natural habitat.

How do the products work? Sharks use electroreception, an electrical signal detection that can spot prey without using their eyes.

How sharks sense prey
© Shark Shield

New products from both Sharkbanz and Shark Shield repel sharks by overriding that sense without causing long-term effects to the shark.

Shark repellent does not come in a can. It comes in a stylish Sharkbanz wrist band.
© Elyse Lu

Sharkbanz, a band placed on the wrist or ankle, sends out magnetic waves that disrupt the shark’s electroreception, and the shark abruptly turns around. Dr. Stroud, senior chemist for, a company researching shark repellent technology, explains it this way:

It is “like a person suddenly shining a very bright light in your eyes in a dark room, and it’s not pleasant.” 

“Save a shark. Use a Shark Shield.” 
© Jose Debassa

The Shark Shield comes as a cord attached to the ankle or as an antenna connected to the grip pad of a surfboard. These send out electrical waves that cause short-term muscle spasms in the electroreceptors of sharks, also repelling them. They dart away into the blue.

Although Sharkbanz and Sharkshield cannot confirm 100% effectiveness as a repellent, they are absolutely effective in reducing the fears of surfers, divers, kayakers, swimmers, and spear fisherman.

As Dean Gregory from Perth in Western Australia says:

“It takes that little niggle out of the back of my mind, helps you relax and just surf.”

Protecting Surfers, Protecting Sharks

Lindsay Lyon, CEO and managing director of Shark Shield, explains,

“I’d say the biggest ‘Oh, I see’ moment in the business was realizing that selling on fear was a very bad thing. Our brand is about ‘enabling’ our customers to enjoy their adventure sport, it’s not about selling fear, this is the wrong approach.”

Reducing the fear also reduces the need for harmful action against sharks. A win-win for sharks and humans.

Those who enjoy using the ocean have a responsibility to preserve the habitat for all living things. Shark repellents are encouraging us in that direction: to find solutions that work for humans and for the animals in the natural environment we play in.

“Get out there. Surf without fear.”
© Josh Letchworth

Perhaps these Hong Kong children, creative thinkers themselves, said it best when they showed their respect for sharks on Kids Ocean Day: 

Thank you, Lindsay from Shark Shield and Nathan from Sharkbanz, for providing me with information and photographs about shark repellent, and thank you especially for your conservation efforts. 

Educate yourself about sharks and shark safety at Taronga (Conservation Society of Australia).

Check out shark myths at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

The shark fin—native to its ocean habitat and symbol of horror films.
\u00a9 DigitalStorm\/Thinkstock<\/p><\/div>\n

Creative Thinkers Invent\u00a0Shark Repellent<\/h2>\n

Ahhhh. A beach vacation with adventure—<\/p>\n

Catching a wave in Australia<\/em><\/p>\n

Diving in Hawaii’s coral reef<\/em><\/p>\n

Kayaking the coast of California<\/em><\/p>\n

You won’t be alone . . . dunah . . . dunah. That’s right, there will be other tourists there too! And of course,\u00a0marine life, possibly\u00a0sharks.<\/p>\n

Surfers, who\u00a0decide to play in the playground of a predator, are used to taking\u00a0a ration of fear along for the ride. But now ocean enthusiasts and other\u00a0creative thinkers have\u00a0teamed up to develop a shark repellent that relaxes the mind and eliminates the fear for surfers.<\/p>\n

And it just might provide an answer for coexisting with sharks, who are essential animals in the ocean environment.<\/p>\n

Beach tourism is no longer two chairs on an empty beach.
\u00a9 BlackEyedDog\/Thinkstock<\/p><\/div>\n

Too Much Fun In the Sun?<\/h4>\n

Why are shark attacks on the increase? The number\u00a0of people in coastal waters has skyrocketed. For example,\u00a0Toronga Conservation Society of Australia<\/a>\u00a0reports this population increase for Australia:<\/p>\n

\n
• 1900 \u00a0= \u00a03.7 million<\/li>\n
• 1950 \u00a0= \u00a08.3 million<\/li>\n
• 1990 \u00a0= \u00a017 million<\/li>\n
• 2011 \u00a0= \u00a022.7 million<\/li>\n
• 2014 \u00a0= \u00a023.5 million<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  Of course,\u00a0more people going into the water will result in\u00a0a higher chance for contact with marine life, including sharks.<\/p>\n

  

  Where there is an\u00a0ocean to play in, there are surfers ready to\u00a0play.\u00a0
  \u00a9 Anthony Ong<\/p><\/div>\n

  The\u00a0recent\u00a0rise in\u00a0shark attacks has set in motion reactions from governments, organizations, scientists, surfers, and other ocean enthusiasts.<\/p>\n

  The goal: reinstate a relaxed vibe by\u00a0protecting ocean goers. Meeting this goal can manifest itself in\u00a0government plans for shark culling—the trapping and killing of sharks—or lenient policies on hunting sharks for their fins. Even as shark numbers\u00a0are decreasing, 100 million are being killed annually for shark fin soup in Asia.<\/p>\n

  But,\u00a0what about the sharks?<\/p>\n

  Step into the Fins\u00a0of a Shark<\/h4>\n

  Sharks get a bad rap for simply surviving in their habitat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

  Consider Hollywood horror\u00a0movies like\u00a0Jaws<\/em>, Jaws 2<\/em>, Cruel Jaws<\/em>, and\u00a0Jurassic Shark.<\/em>\u00a0In my opinion, they\u00a0<\/em>are\u00a0due for a required disclaimer:<\/p>\n

  Beware!<\/em>\u00a0Side effects may include an irrational fear of the ocean and demonization\u00a0of the shark species. Watch\u00a0at your own risk. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

  In a real shark attack, the media often portrays the survivor as hero and the shark as villain. But it’s\u00a0not that simple.<\/p>\n

  In reality, humans depend on sharks\u00a0for keeping a\u00a0natural balance in the ocean.<\/p>\n

  

  Sharks\u00a0are to be revered and respected in their blue home.
  \u00a9 Ajlber\/Thinkstock<\/p><\/div>\n

  Sharks have been on earth for over 200 million years; humans, 200,000 years. We\u00a0need sharks\u00a0around because they\u00a0eat marine animals that are sick and weak, leaving a healthier animal population in the ocean for the food we eat.\u00a0Humans, as it turns out, are only accidental prey.<\/p>\n

  

  Graffiti in Wellington, New Zealand, protests shark finning and illustrates the first smiling shark.
  \u00a9 Nathan Garrison<\/p><\/div>\n

  Elyse Frankcom, who was bitten by a shark while guiding a scuba tour, supports\u00a0shark protection. She explains that\u00a0government\u00a0money is better spent on investing in a solution that not only thinks about human safety but will also\u00a0“preserve the wildlife in the ocean that’s a natural beauty and belongs there.”<\/p>\n

  Like-minded people began asking, “Might there be a way to protect both the ocean enthusiasts and the sharks?” That’s when the creative thinkers got going, and the idea of shark repellent was born.<\/p>\n

  The Science Behind Shark Repellent<\/h4>\n

  Surfers, scientists and ocean enthusiasts put their heads together to invent products\u00a0that allow\u00a0people to\u00a0have fun in the sun while\u00a0protecting\u00a0sharks living\u00a0in their natural habitat.<\/p>\n

  How do the products work? Sharks use\u00a0electroreception<\/a>, an electrical signal detection that can spot\u00a0prey without using their eyes.<\/p>\n

  

  How sharks sense prey
  \u00a9 Shark Shield<\/p><\/div>\n

  New products from both\u00a0Sharkbanz<\/a> and Shark Shield\u00a0<\/a>repel sharks by overriding that sense without causing long-term effects to the shark.<\/p>\n

  

  Shark repellent does not come in a can. It comes in a\u00a0stylish Sharkbanz wrist band.
  \u00a9 Elyse Lu<\/p><\/div>\n

  Sharkbanz, a band placed on the wrist or ankle, sends out\u00a0magnetic waves that disrupt the shark’s electroreception, and the shark abruptly turns around. Dr. Stroud, senior chemist for, a\u00a0company researching shark repellent technology, explains it this way:<\/p>\n

  It is \u201clike a person suddenly shining a very bright light in your eyes in a dark room, and it’s not pleasant.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

  

  “Save a shark. Use a Shark Shield.”\u00a0
  \u00a9 Jose Debassa<\/p><\/div>\n

  The Shark Shield comes as a\u00a0cord attached to the ankle or as an antenna connected\u00a0to the grip pad of a\u00a0surfboard. These send out electrical waves that cause short-term muscle spasms in the electroreceptors of sharks, also repelling them. They\u00a0dart away into the blue.<\/p>\n

  Although Sharkbanz and Sharkshield cannot confirm 100% effectiveness as a repellent, they are absolutely effective in reducing the fears of\u00a0surfers, divers, kayakers, swimmers, and spear fisherman.<\/p>\n

  As\u00a0Dean Gregory from Perth in Western Australia says:<\/p>\n

  “It takes that little niggle out of the back of my mind, helps you relax and just surf.” <\/em><\/p>\n

  Protecting Surfers, Protecting Sharks<\/h4>\n

  Lindsay Lyon, CEO and managing director of Shark Shield, explains,<\/p>\n

  “I\u2019d say the biggest ‘Oh, I see’ moment<\/strong> in the business was realizing that selling on fear was a very bad thing. Our brand is about ‘enabling’ our customers to enjoy their adventure sport, it\u2019s not about selling fear, this is the wrong approach.”<\/em><\/p>\n

  Reducing the fear also reduces the need for harmful action against sharks. A win-win for sharks and humans.<\/p>\n

  Those who\u00a0enjoy using the ocean have a\u00a0responsibility to preserve the habitat for all living things. Shark repellents are encouraging us in that direction: to find solutions that work for\u00a0humans and for the animals in\u00a0the natural environment we play in.<\/p>\n

  

  “Get out there. Surf without fear.”
  \u00a9 Josh Letchworth<\/p><\/div>\n

  Perhaps these Hong Kong children, creative thinkers themselves, said it best when they showed their respect for sharks on Kids Ocean Day:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n