Shark attacks are statistically rare, but galeophobia—the fear of sharks—remains a common concern that keeps many people out of the water.
A recent experiment in Australia, however, may have found a surprisingly straightforward way to reduce the risk of these encounters.
In 2023, 69 unprovoked shark attacks were recorded worldwide.
Of these, 10 were fatal. The United States accounted for more than half of the incidents, with 36 attacks, while Australia recorded the highest number of fatalities at four.
Statistics show that surfers and participants in similar board sports made up 42% of the victims. This group has historically been overrepresented in shark attack data due to their underwater silhouette resembling typical shark prey such as seals, sea lions, and other pinnipeds.
Dr. Laura Ryan, a surfer and biologist based in Sydney, specializes in shark behavior.
Her dual interests led her to explore a potential solution to this problem. With her team at Macquarie University, Ryan devised an experiment to test whether a simple deterrent could reduce shark attacks—and her findings may represent a significant breakthrough.
According to Dr. Ryan, a key factor in sharks mistaking surfers for prey is their poor vision, which makes it challenging to distinguish between a person on a board and an actual seal.
She hypothesized that using bright lights to obscure surfers’ silhouettes might deter sharks and her experiment provided promising evidence.
Ryan’s team conducted 500 hours of testing in Mossel Bay, South Africa, an area known for its population of great white sharks.
They used foam decoys shaped like seals, some of which were left unlit as controls, while others were fitted with LED lights of varying brightness and patterns. These decoys were towed behind boats to observe the sharks’ reactions.
The results were striking. Unlit decoys were attacked more frequently than those equipped with lights. While dim or strobe-lit decoys reduced the number of attacks, the brightest ones were completely avoided by the sharks.
This discovery inspired the development of a lighting system that could be attached to surfboards, kayaks or even wetsuits to deter sharks.
As Ryan told The Times, while there’s no guarantee this method will be 100% effective, it represents a significant step forward in reducing the risk of shark attacks.
