This week the Discovery Channel celebrates “Shark Week” and with the recent reports of shark attacks across the country, a new device called the Shark Shield is protecting divers from sharks. The device is an antenna that is strapped to a diver’s foot to create an electromagnetic field that deters sharks.
Sharks are sensitive to electromagnetic fields and tests using the antenna demonstrate sharks will retreat when they are near the electrical field. Sharks have electrical receptors in their snout that help to sense electrical fields in the water. When a swimmer is kicking on the surface of the water, low-frequency vibrations are created, which is associated as a source of food. The electromagnetic waves created by the Shark Shield induce spasms in the shark’s snout and causes the shark to move away.
Read more about the electromagnetic antenna that deters sharks.
