Author(s)

Erich Ritter^1,2*, Raid Amin², Ellie Farquhar³

¹Department of Statistics and Mathematics, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL, USA.
²Shark Research Institute, Princeton, NJ, USA.
³PHS Science Research, Pawling, NY, USA.

Eye contact with a shark is a crucial element during an interaction with a diver. Different mask frames change the size of a diver’s available field of vision, and so make a person’s eyes unequally visible from different angles, particularly when comparing mirrored to regular glass. This study examined whether it matters to a shark if it can see a diver’s eyes when getting closer. The test-subjects changed masks in a random, timed routine, while the relative distance, the absolute distance between a shark and diver expressed in a fraction of the shark’s body length, between approaching shark and human was tallied. Sharks came significantly closer (p = 0.0139) when a diver’s eyes could not be detected, showing that they orient themselves and approach based on the human’s eyes. Given that human comprehension of sharks is rudimentary, every possible benefit, even a minimal one like choosing the most optimal mask, is recommended whenever approaching sharks are likely to be encountered.

Approach, Eye Contact, Interruption, Mask, Shark

Ritter, E. , Amin, R. and Farquhar, E. (2020) Does the Type of Dive Mask Matter to a Shark?. Open Journal of Animal Sciences, 10, 618-626. doi: 10.4236/ojas.2020.103040.