Interesting technology, sad that it was not effective in the situation.
Sharkbanz, for example, says its bands can deter great white sharks that are merely “investigating” prey, because the predators rely on electroreception while swimming in open water. The company also acknowledges on its website that the product does little to deter ambush attacks when great whites strike at high speeds from below.
Despite its limitations, Sharkbanz markets its product as “proven, effective and safe,” and says it “reduces the risk” of shark encounters by emitting electromagnetic fields.
Sharkbanz said it was saddened by Fox’s death but had been “very straightforward” with the group about the limits of its technology, pointing to an email to a group representative that said “there is no effective way to prevent this type of ambush attack.”
The company said it likened the bands to seat belts or bike helmets, which are “intended to reduce the risk of harm, but they cannot protect someone fully, all the time.”
