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Journal article
Does the Type of Dive Mask Matter to a Shark?
Open journal of animal sciences, Vol.10(3), pp.618-626
07/2020
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Abstract
Eye contact with a shark is a crucial element during an interaction with a diver. Different mask frames change the size of a diver’s available field of vision, and so make a person’s eyes unequally visible from different angles, particularly when comparing mirrored to regular glass. This study examined whether it matters to a shark if it can see a diver’s eyes when getting closer. The test-subjects changed masks in a random, timed routine, while the relative distance, the absolute distance between a shark and diver expressed in a fraction of the shark’s body length, between approaching shark and human was tallied. Sharks came significantly closer (p = 0.0139) when a diver’s eyes could not be detected, showing that they orient themselves and approach based on the human’s eyes. Given that human comprehension of sharks is rudimentary, every possible benefit, even a minimal one like choosing the most optimal mask, is recommended whenever approaching sharks are likely to be encountered.
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- Title
- Does the Type of Dive Mask Matter to a Shark?
- Publication Details
- Open journal of animal sciences, Vol.10(3), pp.618-626
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Scientific Research Publishing, Inc.
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2020 by author(s) and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.
- Identifiers
- 99380553495706600
- Academic Unit
- Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering ; Mathematics and Statistics
- Language
- English