Shark Week episode

Was watching a series on Discovery Channel yesterday about GWS and there was an interesting segment where one of the shark chasers was in a yellow kayak. This was in Africa in an area that is inhabited by younger sharks between 9-13' long. This area is known as a place where juvenile sharks that are transitioning from a mostly fish diet to a mostly seal diet come to feed because the species of seals here are smaller and more abundant. He was being filmed from what I imagine was both an assist boat (underwater and water level shots) and perhaps a helicopter for some interesting overhead shots. In any case, he was discussing what might trigger a sharks interest in yaks. He did attract a few sharks to the boat. The water was crystal clear so you could see them as they loomed, circled and followed him from deep under the yak. He then showed that what seemed to peak their interest was not so much the boat, but the paddles. When he started making swift shorter (possibly frantic) strokes that made more splash and sound the sharks would key in on the paddle blades. He had the sharks repeatedly mouth and "taste" the blades, one shark did "kiss" the hull slightly around the center near the side carry handle, but that was it for the hull, they were much more interested in the paddle blade. In another segment, it was mentioned that sharks will always target the smaller slower seals. I watched the kayak footage over and over on the Tevo and I think that what may be happening is that these may see the paddle as a small seal that is attempting to jump onto a bit of flotsam (the hull). Sharks like other fish probably regard floating debris (flotsam) as food attractants, and they may just be grabbing a yak similar to when we flip a rock on the beach looking for sand crabs, they don't want the yak, they just want to shake off any food (seals) that may be on it. Having a black paddle blade may be the attractant.

In reading some of the info on attacks on this site, I noticed mention of kayak color and propulsion type (paddle/pedal), as well as different painted patterns to deter attacks, but in reviewing many fishing report photos as well as looking at different mail-order suppliers, just about all paddles have black blades, even the Hobie Mirage drives are black. This may be the one detail that should be looked at more closely.

FisHunters paddle blades were white.

It is an interesting theory.

I think there's a bunch of little things that might trigger an "investigation".

all of my paddles have white blades...

I wonder if something unnatural, like day glo green, would startle a shark?

oh great an I just orderd seal skin paddle blade covers....