Metal Detectors and Sharks?

stitchlips · Aug 27, 2008

I have wondered about this for a while. Sharks are attracted to certain electrical currents or I should say I have heard and seen that they use them to help Identify food sources.

I have on several occasions seen sharks approach the anchor of my boat and just nudge it. It's just a regular old anchor I assume it has something to do with it's electrical currents.

So my question is, Are sharks possibly attracted to metal detectors because of the electrical currents sent out by them or maybe they are repelled by them? Anyone?

Narthoniel · Aug 27, 2008

Theres no sharks out there! Just go for it

mumszie · Aug 27, 2008

There was another post on here not too long ago that talked about sharks being repelled by detectors. I can't remember what the name of the post was. Some said yes, other's said no and still others said they wouldn't believe it. So who knows?

stitchlips · Aug 27, 2008

Narthoniel said:
Theres no sharks out there! Just go for it

Well today I saw what was left of a 50 lb redfish come floating by. Bitten clean in half. So that also made me wonder about the detector.

bootybay · Aug 27, 2008

Pleasssssssssssssssse don't tell me your in NJ...

Hangingfor8 · Aug 27, 2008

You think you got shark problems..... Ttry being in New Smyrna Beach Florida aka The Shark Bite Capital Of The World. I see sharks almost every day. I normally just put the md between me and them.

Dirt Fishin Dale · Aug 27, 2008

Whats a shark?

Beach_hunter · Aug 27, 2008

I have been sharking for over 40 years. Always catch and release. I have made a couple of shark attractors that pulse at various speeds and frequencies. Sharks are attracted to such disturbances in the water.

I have never used a frequency that went into the RF spectrum. All my pulse units were audible or just sub-audible sent through a waterproof speaker. Just remember most shark attacks occur in very shallow water. Bull sharks will bite you just for fun. They don't eat you, just bite and run. Dont urinate in the water, spit in the water, or carry food with you in the water. If you do your just chumming for shark.

Best to All
Bill

stitchlips · Aug 27, 2008

Hangingfor8 said:
You think you got shark problems..... Ttry being in New Smyrna Beach Florida aka The Shark Bite Capital Of The World. I see sharks almost every day. I normally just put the md between me and them.

Guess where I live? Same place. That's where I saw the Redfish!

rdi · Aug 27, 2008

I don't think it makes a bit of difference, from the research that I have done and my experience in the water, metal detecting in the water neither attracts or repels sharks. This was confirmed a couple of weeks ago on a shark program investigating electrical fields as a shark deterent (if you can believe a tv program) and as stitchlips does I also keep my coil between the shark and myself....rdi

teklord · Aug 27, 2008

This is why I wear a shark knife in the water. It may not prevent a bite, but at least I feel better. I was hunting a recently lost gold ring at Cocoa when a 4 foot shark swam past. I got out of the water and moved down the beach to an area where at least I had not seen any sharks. No ring is worth that much. New Smyrna Beach, Forget about it !
The only thing I have ever been bitten by are Jellyfish. The sting lasted 3 weeks.

Tek

bootybay · Aug 27, 2008

How shallow can a shark swim into... someone please tell ms. chicken chit here.

JP · Aug 27, 2008

My experience has been that when sharks got within 10 feet of my metal detector they would swim off, not sure if it was the detector or they could sense electrical fields from me. I know also sting rays at about the 10 foot distance would move too when the detector was swinging. I have had Manatees come up to me in the water. I don't know if they could feel the electrical field of the metal detector or they could see me and were curious. Only God knows.

Schools of bait fish don't seem to be bothered by the detector and they are the ones that bother me when I am in neck deep water. At that point I can only imagine a big shark after them and me in the middle. I usually, if not always, move for shallower ground because that will surely guarantee a possible problem if I stay there with them. There was a special on the Discover Channel about shark bites. One guy from Tampa Bay area got bit by a bull shark in conditions where there were bait fish around him and the shark his leg for a snack. He was fishing in waist deep water.

DaChief · Aug 27, 2008

Here is a post I did on it back a while ago.

In a nutshell, it appears that most research shows that sharks are attracted to small amounts of true electrical current such as that generated by a shorted low voltage wire.

The same research states that they are repelled however by electromagnetic waves such as those emitted by metal detectors.

Good news, your detector appears to be a shark repellant. Just make sure you don't work in the water with shorted wires on your coils, etc. Either way, I believe that the electromagnetic field emitted by your detector would be much stronger than the electrical impulse of a shorted wire.

Here is the Patent of one shark repelling device. There are others. This one is a floating bouy. Some of the others I saw are designed to be attached to surfboards, kayaks, life vests, etc.

United States Patent 7270083

This device is a floating bouy that emits an electromagnetic field to repel sharks.

For a neat perspective on how sharks home in on small electrical impulses, you have to check out this PDF.
www.physorg.com/pdf10587.pdf

I any event, I am not tempted at all in getting into water with sharks. I stay away from beaches that are known to have high populations of them. Most of these are on the east coast of Florida. The panhandle has its share of aggressive Bull Sharks but attacks there are rare.
Patented Shark repelling bouy which emits Electromagnetic Waves.
Looks alot like a metal detector doesn't it!

JP · Aug 27, 2008

Bootybay said:
How shallow can a shark swim into... someone please tell ms. chicken chit here.

I'm not trying to scare you, but, I saw a shark one time get washed up on shore and kick and go crazy to get back in the water. It was about one year ago on the Treasure coast when there were some really big waves washing up on shore. Scared the you know what out of me because it was only about 30 feet away from me.

There was a terrible accident in Pensacola, Florida, I believe 7 years ago, where a 5 year old boy had his arm bitten off by one, the uncle jumped in and grabbed the shark and threw it on shore. I believe the shark was about 5 or 6 feet long. The shark had been in less than knee deep water. They reattached his arm.

Don't think you are the only one that feels like a chicken, the things are scary.

SandFiddler · Aug 27, 2008

Bootybay said:
How shallow can a shark swim into... someone please tell ms. chicken chit here.

Sharks can run in surprisingly shallow water especially when chasing baitfish in the surf.

bootybay · Aug 27, 2008

craaaaaaaaaap I just now was able to go in up to my knees.. I think I will stick to knees or lil below that..

Beach_hunter · Aug 27, 2008

Shark will swim into as shallow water as they can. I would say 2 foot would be a sake minimum. Beyond that anything goes.

Narthoniel · Aug 27, 2008

Bootybay,

I live a few hours south of you, and we have VERY few sharks here. There are very very few sharks bigger than 3 feet long in this region. I have caught them fishing, and seen others catch them. Never more than 3 feet, usually smaller. I would do some research on shark migration patterns, and see if any come near you. Maybe try to find someone knowledgable about them that can reassure you of their scarcity. And even when they are near, they very rarely attack a human.

Sharks dont have arms, and sometimes they bite to investigate something. I heard about one biting a surfer, he bit the board and persons leg, held on momentarily, and let go and swam off. Just checking things out, they are curious. This is rare of course, and is not the normal action a shark takes with a swimmer or surfer. The last shark attack here locally was about 5 years ago, and a bull shark attacked a surfer about 20-25 miles south of where I live. He was well beyond shore, as he was surfing. His dad managed to beat the shark a new one, and got his son to shore. I recall him surviving, but pthers ive talked to say he died, and I cannotb e sure.

Bottom line: Bull Sharks are known to bite more often than others. If scientific research has shown they dont go near you, less to fear. I understand your fears and worries, as I read about your childhood experience. I have never seen or caught a shark near shore here(only offshore). I doubt there are many in your area either. You have only just overcome your greatest fear: Dont give back into it now. Be strong, and you can overcome!

Anthony