Interview with Lindsay Lyon from Ocean Guardian
Today’s interview is with Lyndsay Lyon from Ocean Guardian, originally and probably better known as Shark Shield! They make a range of products that are designed to make ocean activities safer and to decrease the amount of shark attacks on humans. It works by creating an electrical field that surrounds the diver or surfer that causes a distinct and noticeable reaction in certain types of sharks (namely the ones we humans have trouble with, Great White, Bull Shark, Tiger Shark) and causes them to turn away. Now, making a product that aims to stop shark attacks is a big claim and needs to be backed up by solid evidence and rigorous testing. We had a ton of questions from our community asking the questions that everyone wants to know: Will this stop a Great White from biting me? How close do the sharks need to get for these products to work? Can I trust my life to this?
If you are wondering at all about any of these questions, have a listen to this episode and it will answer all these and more! In the links below are several videos of these products being tested and you can see for yourself just how effective they are.
Important times:
- 00:14 Intro
- 05:00 Hello Lyndsay! Where did the name change come from?
- 06:42 How did you get involved with Terra Australis and Andre Rerekura?
- 07:50 Terra Australis did a test with the surf board product
- 09:00 Tell us about how sharks sense the world and how Ocean Guardian affects sharks
- 10:47 Do they see in colour?
- 12:12 What scientific studies have been done? Many marine animals use electrical fields
- 15:14 What is the effective range?
- 17:44 What is the shark’s physiological reaction to the electrical field?
- 18:35 Has anyone been bitten while wearing one? What guarantee is there?
- 21:15 National Geographic has a good video on this with Chris Hemsworth
- 23:15 Use this as a risk mitigation strategy
- 24:07 What species are they most effective on? Only 3 main sharks that are a real concern to humans, Great Whites, Bull and Tiger sharks
- 25:41 Oceanic White Tips and Reef sharks and Mako’s, are they effective against them?
- 27:04 Installing the device into your fins
- 28:33 Have you thought about partnering with fin companies? Why a fin isn’t the best option
- 30:10 Sharkbanz
- 31:00 Handheld device for spearos
- 32:14 Problems with the first handheld Sharkshield
- 33:53 We are in a very small industry
- 37:06 Version 2.0 of the eSPEAR
- 38:15 Surfers are the highest risk
- 38:45 Bubbles also scare sharks
- 39:24 Shark barrier to replace shark nets
- 39:56 Does this interfere with other animals?
- 41:01 Government perspective on drum lines and shark nets
- 43:00 WA government actually gives you money to buy shark deterrents
- 43:58 Shark Eyes
- 46:20 Is there a maximum size shark it will work on?
Image by @sharkyaerials – The Ampullae of Lorenzini
- 48:00 Does 1 diver wearing this device put the others at a higher risk?
- 50:26 Hanging the device on your float or stringer
- 51:32 What are the long term effects on humans at depth?
- 53:21 Sharks seem to be more aggressive on the surface
- 54:52 I see more sharks with my shield on than without
- 56:40 The inverse square law and how far the field can be detected
- 57:39 Sharks can only sense electrical fields about 50cm away
- 01:00: Does the device emit a vibration?
- 01:00:55 Can these devices aggravate the sharks more?
- 01:02:46 Practicalities of using this in kelp or on coral reefs
- 01:04:44 Floating the device
- 01:06:45 How has Covid affected your business?
- 01:08:33 Adding an interchangeable battery
- 01:09:47 Shock protection?
- 01:11:23 Helping shark attack survivors get back into the water: The Bite Club on Facebook
- 01:15:13 How do you store the device?
- 01:16:00 How do you check the charge?
- 01:17:23 Auto-inflating vest for black out protection
- 01:18:30 What reduces the effectiveness?
- 01:20:09 How does it attach to you?
- 01:20:58 When will you have stock again and where can I buy them + servicing
- 01:22:57 Warranty
- 01:25:08 What is the future for Ocean Guardian?
- 01:26:26 What’s your ultimate vision for Ocean Guardian?
- 01:28:32 Outro
- 01:29:51 Noober Stories
Listen in and subscribe on iOS or Android https://link.chtbl.com/Download_This_Episode
Important Links
- OceanGuardian.com
- Shark Shield Technology on a surfboard video
- Testing on Great Whites
- Testing on Makos
- Chris Hemsworth testing the shark deterrent with National Geographic
- The Dive Series of products
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