A new study published on Monday, Nov. 11, shows LED lights may prevent great white shark attacks on surfers and kayakers. Australian researchers found seal-shaped decoys with underside lighting blocked the view of silhouettes against the sunlight above, deterring the attacks by obstructing the predator’s vision.
“So, what we’re trying to do now is move from seal decoys into a surfboard prototype by implementing LEDs into the bottom of the surfboard,” Dr. Laura Ryan, one of the lead researchers, said.
The study involved a boat towing a seal decoy for dozens of hours. Researchers found horizontal lighting on objects was much more effective than other positioning. They also say finding the correct level of brightness will be crucial for the technology to be employed in surfboards.
“So, if you don’t get this right, you might not have an effect,” said Professor Nathan Hart with Macquarie University, which is leading the research. “It’s always a possibility that any stimulus you put in the water might attract a shark. So, with that careful testing, we worked to find the optimal brightness, which mostly works like a counter illumination, breaks up the silhouette and seems to deter the shark from attack.”
The study also relies on previous research, which shows great white shark attacks on humans may be a case of mistaken identity. The sharks have a harder time seeing shapes and details than humans.
“Some of the previous research within my group also found out that sharks are potentially colorblind,” Hart said. “So, they don’t see color like we do. They also don’t see as much details as we do. They also don’t see as many details. So, their acuity is a lot lower than ours.”
Scientists believe more studies will be necessary to simulate surfers paddling, and there’s more work to be done to find the best way to implement the technology.
While shark attacks are rare, worldwide most bites are linked to people surfing or participating in board sports.
Furthermore, most fatal bites are from great white sharks. However, the study notes, it may be important to test the lights on sharks with different predatory behavior.
