The theory that says that when a white shark attacks a human, it does so by mistake is confirmed. More specifically , they confuse us with seals and sea lions since their vision is limited and it happens more frequently in young specimens.
This is the conclusion reached by a team of researchers from Macquarie University in Sydney, after using a model that simulates the vision of the shark when humans, seals and sea lions are swimming. What scientists have seen is that sharks are not able to distinguish details or colors , so surfers and swimmers, seals and sea lions seen from below look the same.
“Surfers are the group at highest risk for fatal shark bites, especially juvenile white sharks ,” says lead author Dr. Laura Ryan, a postdoctoral researcher in animal sensory systems in the University’s neurobiology laboratory. Macquarie and big fan of surfing.
The study that has been published in the Journal of The Royal Society Interface aimed to understand what the vision of sharks is like, as well as to explore the neuroscience behind the visual systems of white sharks. To do this, the researchers compared underwater videos of rectangular floats, seals and sea lions swimming, humans swimming with different movements and humans paddling on surfboards of various sizes in a large aquarium at the Taronga Zoo (Australia), with fixed cameras and mobiles pointing towards the surface of the water. “We hooked up a GoPro to an underwater scooter and set it to travel at the cruising speed typical of predatory sharks,” says Ryan.
Later, in Macquarie’s neurobiology lab, the team relied on extensive shark neuroscience data to apply filters to video images and then create modeling programs that simulated the way a young white shark would process movements and shapes of different objects The results were clear: For a young white shark, humans swimming and paddling on surfboards look a lot like seals and sea lions.
As for the objects used by surfers, scientists have found that white sharks more easily mistake a small surfboard for a seal or a sea lion . In fact, they usually prefer to attack the little ones, the puppies. Therefore, those who ride a smaller surfboard are at greater risk of being attacked than those who ride a long board or paddle board.
Most sharks are likely to be completely color blind, and the main visual cue for great white sharks is silhouette shape, so the colors on the boards and wetsuits are unlikely to change the impressions of the sharks. sharks over floating humans.
And why are young sharks most confused? The reason is that they have worse eyesight than older and larger sharks , so they would be more dangerous to humans.
As a result of the finding, the neurobiology laboratory is working on creating non-invasive vision-based devices to protect surfers and swimmers from shark bites, including the use of LED lights.
