The Dorsal Fin

CBS News has a feature on Anderson Cooper’s most recent “swimming with sharks” endeavor, which took place in the waters off of Cuba. Cooper enjoys the company of reef sharks throughout the video footage.

The video above is described by YouTube user TheSharkShocker as footage of a “shark deterrent band,” being tested with “large reef sharks” in The Bahamas. The sharks in the footage appear to be have been baited, as bait can be seen being tossed from the boat during the video. There are multiple annotations in the video noting how the sharks turn away from the snorkelers after approaching them, with the implication being that the Shark Shocker band is deterring the approach of the sharks.

According to the Shark Shocker website, the bands use “Neodymium rare earth magnets” to create a magnetic field that disorients sharks and makes them “uncomfortable” thus driving them away.

While the Shark Shocker probably wouldn’t be something that shark divers would be clamoring to put on, it’s understandable that some surfers, swimmers, or snorkelers would be in the market for an effective shark deterrent. If you were interested in such a product, would this video serve as convincing evidence to support the effectiveness of the Shark Shocker as a shark deterrent?

Oceanfootage.com has posted a "highlight reel" which features a compilation of clips from some of their available stock footage. The video showcases some wonderful footage of a wide variety of shark species (including the great white shark, scalloped hammerhead shark, bull shark, basking shark, and sand tiger shark to name a few).