September 2018
Ocean Guardian, powered by Shark Shield Technology, is the world’s only scientifically proven and independently tested electrical shark deterrent, yet myths about whether it works and that it attracts sharks still exist, preventing this proven safety technology being broadly adopted. Today, marine biologist and shark conservationist, Amanda Elizabeth, provides the facts and once and for all, busts the myths surrounding the efficacy of electrical shark deterrents.
Amanda says, “There are so many unfounded claims surrounding Ocean Guardian shark deterrents, does it work and does it attract sharks. Having reviewed the independent research on Ocean Guardian technology and seen it in action, I can confirm that it does successfully act as a non-invasive deterrent. We need to set the story straight, Ocean Guardian’s Shark Shield Technology does not attract sharks and has been proven to deter great whites and bull sharks, just ask Bear Grylls.”
Myth 1 – The protective electrical field generated by Ocean Guardian’s Shark Shield Technology attracts sharks:
“It has been speculated that sharks may be attracted to large electrical fields over far distances, mistaking the emitted field for potential prey. Research on Ocean Guardian’s FREEDOM7TM, has proven this is not the case,” said Amanda.
Study 1 (Huveneers et al. 2013) – This theory was directly tested by investigating whether the electric field emitted by the FREEDOM7TM would influence the behaviours of sharks at a distance greater then 20m. The FREEDOM7TM was proven to not attract white sharks.
Study 2 (Kempter et al. 2016) – To claim that the FREEDOM7TM is not attracting sharks, it was proven that the average time taken for a shark to arrive did not differ between the control (device off) and active (device on). Again, proving that the device itself is not attracting sharks. It is important to note that according to South African National Space...