Swimming with Sharks … in a Bikini!
Turns out they’re just not that into you
When you’ve had enough sugary fare and football this Thanksgiving weekend, check out Shark Attack Experiment LIVE on Nat Geo WILD this Friday evening, November 25.
But don’t expect the bikini-clad women to sustain even a scratch as they dive into shark infested waters off the coast of South Africa. It turns out sharks just aren’t that into humans.
That’s the conclusion of all the latest research on these apex predators of the ocean. Their main food is seals. And when they go for a human, it’s usually by mistake – like when they mistake your surfboard for a seal.
Shark Attack Experiment LIVE explores other common questions, like:
Swimming vs. floating: Does floating listlessly or actively swimming make humans a more attractive target?
Color, contrast and shiny surfaces: Do certain colors, bright jewelry or diving equipment attract or provoke sharks to attack?
Bodily fluids: We know a shark can detect minuscule amounts of blood, so does human blood or other fluids like urine signal that a tasty meal is at hand?
Bare skin: Does exposed human skin, like bare feet, bring them in for the kill?
Time of day: Does cover of darkness or daylight increase the likelihood of a shark’s attacking?
Panic and fear: Do our involuntary reactions to stress, like an elevated heartbeat, ring the dinner bell for sharks?
Each year, hundreds of millions of people go swimming in the oceans. Yet on average only 65 attacks are reported annually, with five fatalities. That means you’re four times more likely to be killed by a cow in the U.S. than by a shark anywhere around the globe.
Shark Attack Experiment LIVEpremieres Friday, November 25, 2011, at 9 PM ET/PT on Nat Geo WILD.
Here’s a clip from the show:
And a report by ABC’S Nightline’s Bill Weir, who joined the expedition … but skipped the dive!
