Testing Shark Attraction in the Bahamas
I never imagined I'd be surrounded by a frenzy of sharks in a cage I built myself, only to find it wasn't as protective as I thought. What started as a curiosity about shark behavior led me on a thrilling journey to the Bahamas, where I tested how different blood types affect their instincts, putting myself in real danger to uncover the truth.
TL;DR
I returned to the Bahamas to test if sharks ignore human blood but go wild for fish blood, building on last year's surprising results.
We set up boards with fish blood, human blood substitute, and seawater, watching as sharks showed a clear preference that heightened the stakes.
Sharks swarmed the fish blood setup, revealing their ancient instincts and making me question the myths from movies.
Entering a cage with fish blood triggered an intense encounter, forcing me to defend myself and reflect on human versus predator dynamics.
The experiment's success confirmed fish blood's allure, leaving me with valuable insights into shark behavior and a story of survival.
One year ago, I conducted an experiment pumping human blood into the water near sharks, releasing 15 drops per minute for an hour, but they barely noticed. I had expected the frenzy depicted in movies, where a single drop drives sharks into a rage from miles away, but the reality was far calmer, making me wonder if fish blood would trigger a different response.
With help from friends at Discovery Channel, I headed back to the Bahamas during Shark Week, teaming up with marine biologist Luke Tipple to prepare for the test. We extracted blood from fish using a blender and other methods, creating five gallons of fish blood mixture that looked almost appetizing if not for the smell, while using cow blood as a legal substitute for human blood since experts confirmed it has a similar scent to sharks.
We set up three surfboards in the open ocean, far from our boat to avoid any influence: one with fish blood, one with cow blood, and one with plain seawater as a control. I remotely activated pumps to release the contents over an hour, but when the remote failed, a backup system kicked in automatically, allowing us to proceed and observe from a drone.
At first, nothing happened for about 20 minutes, but then sharks started gathering around the fish blood board, eventually reaching 134 approaches compared to just eight for the cow blood and none for seawater. This clear preference excited us, proving fish blood was the key to stirring their interest, and we knew it would be perfect for the next phase.
The next day, I geared up in a weighted suit and descended into the water inside my homemade cage, armed with bags of fish blood to release at the bottom. As I punctured the bags, sharks swarmed aggressively, bumping the cage and even trying to enter, their teeth flashing in a way that made me perform quick maneuvers to keep them at bay.
It was terrifying as they circled and probed, forcing me to shout and defend myself until I could escape safely with help from divers distracting them. The experience highlighted how sharks' 400-million-year-old instincts prioritize fish blood over rarer sources like human or cow blood, giving me a firsthand sense of being prey.
Reflecting on the adventure, I realized how humans often see themselves as predators, but this experiment flipped that perspective, making me empathize with creatures like tuna and appreciate the raw power of nature's ancient hunters.
Key Takeaways
Sharks showed little interest in human blood substitutes, debunking Hollywood myths about their aggression.
Fish blood strongly attracted sharks, demonstrating their evolutionary preferences in feeding behaviors.
Building a protective cage didn't fully safeguard against close encounters, emphasizing the need for caution in such experiments.
The experience highlighted sharks' ancient instincts, offering insights into marine ecology and human impact on ocean life.
