CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Steve Casar, peels the backing off a decal designed to protect surfers against shark attacks.
I've never been attacked by a shark, but what I don't know is whether a shark has ever considered attacking me.
Stick-on stripes mimic the look
Shark prevention tips
of fish that sharks won’t bite
By Tim Ryan
tryan@starbulletin.comAnyone who spends time in the ocean knows humans are not at the top of a shark's food-preference list; otherwise, we would never be able to enter the ocean. But lying or sitting on surfboards, our arms and legs dangling beneath the surface, allows the predators to mistake us for seals and turtles, favorite menu items for sharks. Hawaii's most ferocious predator, the tiger shark, loves green sea turtles.
In some 40 years of riding waves, I've seen fewer than a half-dozen sharks and only one -- a 5-foot black-tip reef shark last summer in Waikiki -- got within spitting distance. It was a mystical experience but reminded me that surfers never see them coming until it's too late.
To address the threat, surfers at Sharkcamo have come up with a camouflage decal for surfboards and body boards that they claim prevents "mistaken identity" shark attacks.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
The finished board is meant to keep a surfer from being mistaken for a fish on a shark's diet.
Sharkcamo is a super-slick 3M decal design based on the theory that sharks don't eat certain types of fish that have one thing in common: a distinct striped pattern.
The pattern closely resembles the skin of the poisonous lion fish and is responsible, the company says, for "emitting an optic signal to the shark, inhibiting the prey reflex." This allows pilot fish, cleaner wrasse and remora to travel closely with a shark without being eaten.
The zebra-striped pattern reportedly helps sharks differentiate among seals, turtles or potential mates. About 60 percent of shark attacks on surfers -- the upper-radius bites -- are typical of shark courtship rituals.
Sharks attack 50 to 75 people each year worldwide, with about 12 fatalities, according to data compiled in the International Shark Attack File.
Of the 350 or so shark species, about 80 percent grow to less than 5 feet and are unable to hurt people, or rarely encounter them.
Only 32 species have been documented in attacks on humans, and an additional 36 species are considered potentially dangerous.
Almost any shark measuring 6 feet or longer is a potential danger, although three species have been identified repeatedly in attacks: great white, tiger and bull sharks. All three are found worldwide.
Many shark attacks occur near shore, although sharks may also hunt along steep drop-offs, near channels or at river mouths because their prey congregate in those areas.
Some scientists speculate that shark attacks on humans often are cases of mistaken identity. Whatever the cause, shark bites produce serious, sometimes deadly wounds.
According to ISAF curator George Burgess, these attacks in most cases occur where water visibility is poor, wave and current action are high and human recreational activities are prevalent.
Sharkcamo was designed specifically to repel the great white, tiger and bronze whaler sharks while surface hunting.
The idea came from studies done by a New Zealand scientist who lowered a white pole filled with chum into the water. Sharks instantly bumped, then bit the pole. But when the scientist lowered a white-and-black striped version, the same sharks circled but never bumped or bit it.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Steve Casar cut off the excess Sharkcamo decal with a razor blade as he finished applying the stripes to a surfboard.
Sharkcamo's disclaimer says it cannot guarantee that it will prevent a shark attack in every situation, "so please use at your own risk."
Sharkcamo shark camouflage is $24.95 for surfboards and $19.95 for body boards. Call 615-481-0223 or e-mail sales@sharkcamo.com.
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Shark protection
The best prevention for shark attack is common sense and awareness of the kind of attire, activities or conditions that may invite or provoke an attack. Here are a few tips:
>> Swim, dive or surf with other people -- never alone.>> Don't swim where sharks are known to congregate. Avoid swimming between sandbars, near steep drop-offs or channels, or at river mouths.
>> Avoid wearing shiny jewelry that might simulate the scales of a prey fish. Don't wear contrasting, bright-colored clothing.
>> Don't swim in dirty water.
>> Don't swim at dusk or at night.
>> Refrain from excessive splashing. Keep animals, with their erratic movements, out of the water.
>> Don't swim near people who are fishing or spear-fishing.
>> Avoid spreading blood or human wastes in the water.
>> If schooling fish start to behave erratically or congregate in large numbers, leave the area.
>> If a shark is sighted, leave the water as calmly and quickly as possible.
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