Killer whale sounds to scare away sharks
I think any shark deterrent research is a good thing and I don't have any real concerns about this other than, will it also scare away fish as well??
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/19663307/killer-whale-sounds-to-scare-away-sharks/
WA scientists will broadcast killer whale "screams" through underwater speakers this summer to see if they scare away great white, tiger and hammerhead sharks from Perth beaches.
The University of WA research is the latest bid by scientists to better understand the sharks and safeguard swimmers after a horror spate of attacks in the past two years.
It also comes after an ABC program last night suggested killer whales, or orcas, were the great white shark's only natural predator - a theory long held but, until now, little tested.
UWA Associate Professor Nathan Hart, a sensory neurologist, said mimicking killer whale calls through soundwaves had been shown to deter sharks.
But Professor Hart said the idea was last tested in the 1970s and did not involve big predatory sharks, meaning little was known about how effective it would be with white pointers.
Under the new trial to begin in January, researchers will try to lure tiger and great white sharks before broadcasting the replicated sound of a killer whale to determine whether the predators react.
Depending on its success, the trial could pave the way for the technology to be used as a shark deterrent off Perth beaches including Scarborough and Cottesloe, where conditions make shark barriers unsuitable.
"With a little bit of anecdotal evidence and possibly the odd YouTube video I think it's accepted that killer whales are natural predators of most sharks," Professor Hart said. "They (researchers in the 1970s) basically analysed the call of the orca and tried to pull out the essence of it and this was shown to make sharks go away from the test area.
"Given we have access to white sharks and tiger sharks and hammerheads . . . up and down the WA coast, it's a really good idea to visit this in case it's got legs.
"But it's very early days."
Despite the optimism, Professor Hart said mimicking killer whale sounds would not be a panacea for the safety of swimmers because sharks could become "habituated" to it if overexposed.
"We're testing lots of repellents at the moment and sometimes they work and sometimes they don't work," Professor Hart said.
Premier Colin Barnett has lauded the research, which is being carried out as part of multimillion-dollar efforts to test the effectiveness of existing deterrents and investigate new ones.
pale ale
Posts: 1755
Date Joined: 02/01/10
Will it attract killer whales
Will it attract killer whales to the beach?
Guardy
Posts: 381
Date Joined: 09/08/12
My thoughts
Exactly
sea-kem
Posts: 15132
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Ha ha gotta give em full
Ha ha gotta give em full marks for trying.
Love the West!
Paul H
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Date Joined: 18/01/07
even worse you only have to
Youtube Channel - FishOnLine Productions
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbUVNa-ViyGm_FTDSv4Nqzg/videos
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
what other marine life will
what other marine life will be affected? ie: Seals, fish, crays? who knows.
EKUL
Posts: 179
Date Joined: 05/01/13
first thing
that popped into my head was how is this going to effect beach fishing!
Dale
Posts: 7930
Date Joined: 13/09/05
Scared
Don't know about great whites but it'll scare the crap out of me.
cheers
Dale
"Just because you are a Character, Doesn't mean you have Character."
Mr Wolf
benferguson
Posts: 139
Date Joined: 30/12/10
It doesn't matter too much
It doesn't matter too much if the killer whales come to the beaches no wild killer whales have killed humans but not sure how they will affect the rest of the wildlife
Super peg
Posts: 760
Date Joined: 02/09/12
Rather be chomped than be
Rather be chomped than be chomped and then used as frisbee to the chompers mates.
But who knows it may work? Guess even Bruce the great white has gotta be scared of something?
The art of fishing consists of casting, winding, trolling and jigging
while freezing, sweating, swatting and swearing.
Super peg
Posts: 760
Date Joined: 02/09/12
Double post my bad
Double post my bad
The art of fishing consists of casting, winding, trolling and jigging
while freezing, sweating, swatting and swearing.
rigpig
Posts: 508
Date Joined: 21/11/12
Fat chicks
Maybe they can point the speakers at the beach and scare all the fat chicks off.. just saying...
Paul H
Posts: 2104
Date Joined: 18/01/07
Won't playing whale sounds
Won't playing whale sounds attract them :-(
Youtube Channel - FishOnLine Productions
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbUVNa-ViyGm_FTDSv4Nqzg/videos
Skull
Posts: 630
Date Joined: 03/01/12
Unbelievable
In the text from the UWA thay are going to try to attract sharks to test the system of sending killer whale sounds out into the ocean.
Would want to hope it works, big compensation if it doesn't and someone gets eaten.
Perhaps they could go to AQWA and try on the grey nurse sharks in the tanks.
Skull
lrp1
Posts: 75
Date Joined: 26/11/12
I don't think they are going
I don't think they are going to attract sharks to swimming beaches just to test the system. It doesn't make sense, and on top of that you wouldn't believe how much red tape and scrutiny there is in academia to do any research involving animals or people in any way.
Howard George
Posts: 544
Date Joined: 10/03/11
They Wont Know
They wont know if they don't give it a try. It's a big coastline though and the mere thought it might stop attacks even in metro waters is a bit over the top.
Super peg
Posts: 760
Date Joined: 02/09/12
can just see divers and
can just see divers and surfers with speakers built in to their wetsuits and itunes selling whale song podcasts
The art of fishing consists of casting, winding, trolling and jigging
while freezing, sweating, swatting and swearing.
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
On the news the other night
On the news the other night they said they would try this technique off Cottesloe beach, and yes will put baits int he water to attract sharks. From memory i think they said 200m offshore?
Howard George
Posts: 544
Date Joined: 10/03/11
This Came Up today
The question came up today on the radio asking an expert whether these sonic sounds of killer whales would upset the migration of whales along the coast. A fair question I thought after seeing a doco. recently where whales were being predated on by killer whales in Canada.