THE JOURNEY: SCIENCE & TESTING
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WHAT'S NEXT & WHERE WE ARE AT?
The next phase continues structured field testing across multiple deployments, locations and environmental conditions to gather a larger data set. The goal is simple. Build a robust body of evidence around how visual stimuli may influence shark behaviour in real world scenarios.
All findings will be independently reviewed and assessed before any formal conclusions are drawn. We are committed to transparency throughout the process and will continue sharing updates as more data becomes available.
This footage shows one moment from a peer-reviewed research project currently underway on the West Australian coast. We are sharing this as we aim to provide insight into the current testing process.
In this clip, two identical bait-filled canisters were deployed. One was fitted with the visual deterrent (the eyes), the other had no deterrent attached.
A shark approaches the setup, swims past the canister fitted with the visual deterrent, then investigates and bites the bait-filled canister without the deterrent.
This forms part of the initial research aimed at measuring how simulated eye contact may influence shark behaviour by engaging natural self-preservation responses.
BUT HOW DID WE GET HERE?
After abalone diver and founder Shanan Worrall experienced the loss of two mates to white shark attacks in Western Australia. Shark Eyes was created with the intention of contributing to keeping our ocean community safer, without harming the ocean along the way.
Visual Hunters
Sharks have far better eyesight than we once thought. Larger species depend heavily on visual cues and tactically exploit low light conditions where they hold the advantage.
Countless firsthand accounts suggest sharks respond directly to line of sight and are acutely aware of where our eyes are.
In poor visibility, a visual investigation phase still takes place, just compressed, forcing quicker decisions. Given what we know about shark caution and self preservation, we believe there is merit in both long range and close scenarios to using visual deterrent tech.
Deep dive below with a selection of published papers that have explored the topic.
- Sharks came significantly closer and slowed when eye contact was interrupted — evidence they are sensitive to being observed
First study to map how vision, lateral line, electroreception, and olfaction integrate across the full hunting sequence
- Blacktip sharks rely heavily on vision for accurate strikes — success dropped significantly when vision was blocked
- Without vision, prey detection was limited to within one body length
- Vision enables detection at distances up to tens of meters
3. Martin et al. (2005) - Predatory Behaviour of White Sharks at Seal Island, South Africa Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK 85:1121-1135 - in summary
White sharks use a visual "Gather Info" phase before deciding to strike or abort — demonstrating visual risk assessment during predation
4. Huveneers et al. (2015) - White Sharks Exploit the Sun during Predatory Approaches The American Naturalist 185(4):562-570 - in summary
White sharks reverse approach direction from morning to afternoon to keep the sun behind them — strong evidence of vision as a primary hunting sense
Element of Surprise
Large sharks are ambush predators, using the element of surprise for success, efficiency and self preservation. Removing that advantage significantly impacts their behaviour, a principle widely observed across nature. Even apex predators face real consequences from a hunt gone wrong, like a seal's claws damaging the eyes or gills, an injury that could threaten survival. This conflict between risk and reward defines predator behaviour and survival will always come first over a high risk strike. It has been widely observed amongst divers that sharks approach with stealth, often from behind, and when detected will turn away and return from another angle seeking the blind side.
Deep dive below with a selection of published papers that have explored the topic.
- Seals can evade sharks once detected due to superior manoeuvrability
- Tactical advantage is lost when surprise is removed
- Fur seals and sea lions easily avoided white sharks once visually detected
- Sharks rely on surprise because they lack the agility to capture alert, fleeing prey
- Attacks made from behind and beneath prey; bite scars concentrated on ventral regions
- White sharks "not agile enough to capture a fleeing, darting pinniped; hence, it generally attacks its prey by surprise"
- Foundational framework: animals assess and control predation risk through cost-benefit trade-offs
- Detection by prey fundamentally changes the predator's calculation — survival is increasingly prioritised as attack risk rises
Bio-mimetic Eyespots
Hundreds of species use eyespots as an evolved defence mechanism. Evolutionary design takes no prisoners. If a feature doesn't serve survival, it won't endure millions of years of refinement. Eyespots create a false perception of size, suggest awareness and can redirect attacks toward less vital body parts. When you see this working across fish, insects, tigers and birds, and pair it with what we've witnessed about eye contact and shark behaviour, the logic behind Shark Eyes becomes clear. Australian scientist Dr. Neil Jordan asked a similar question in Botswana, painting eyespots on cattle to protect them from big cats. Over four years, across 2061 marked cattle, he lost zero animals. Biomimicry research has delivered remarkable breakthroughs and we've only just scratched the surface of what’s possible in this field.
Deep dive below with a selection of published papers that have explored the topic.
- 4-year study: 2,061 cattle, 14 herds in Botswana
- Zero eyespot-painted cattle killed vs 15 unpainted and 4 cross-marked
- First demonstration of eyespots deterring large mammalian ambush predators — supports the detection hypothesis
- Predators associate eye-like patterns with threat from their own enemies — eyespots signal awareness
- "Mona Lisa effect": concentric circles maintain apparent eye contact from all approach angles
- Damselfish grow larger eyespots when exposed to predators; mortality dropped from 60% to 10%
- Eyespots redirect attacks away from the head
Self Preservation
Sharks avoid confrontation with larger or unknown animals because they risk injury or death. Despite the story often told, they are far from mindless hunters. For all their power, they have real vulnerabilities including their eyes, gills and electrosensing systems. 300 million years of survival is testament to the refinement sharks have developed in the game of risk and reward. We know sharks approach any target with a thorough investigation process. Prey is unaware, or prey runs, validating the hunter's instincts. A response of eye contact represents confidence and defiance, not fear - introducing doubt into the mind of the predator.
Deep dive below with a selection of published papers that have explored the topic.
1, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) - Sharks Anatomy Guide
- Shark gills lack protective bony covering, leaving them vulnerable — injury can be fatal.
- Sharks cease predation when success drops to ~40% — first evidence of foraging cessation in any predatory fish
- Decision tree model: "Gather Info" before "Strike" or "Abort"
- Individual sharks show trial-and-error learning with elevated success rates
- Energy conservation (travelling) was the most frequent behavioural state; active searching the least
- Sharks continuously optimise energy through strategic decisions on timing, location, and conditions
4. ICES Journal of Marine Science (2025). "Influence of human and marine wildlife presence on white shark behaviour in nearshore areas." ICES Journal of Marine Science, 82(1).
- Retreat is less costly and less risky than physical engagement
- White sharks displayed avoidance behaviour with dolphins and other sharks
- Scavenging is "considerably more energy efficient" than active hunting
If you've spent time underwater with sharks, you know eye contact changes behaviour. This is common knowledge amongst dedicated waterpeople. Divers, scientists and natural history filmmakers have seen it time and time again, coming out of the water with stories of sharks consistently avoiding eye contact and seeking to remain undetected. Unsure where that shark just disappeared to?
Start by looking behind you.
There will always be sharks that behave a little differently, that’s the complexity of the wild. One thing is for sure, that survival is at the core of all behaviour. In the challenging field of shark science, we’ve always been a firm believer in looking to the lessons we have learnt from time in the water. It’s these experiences that compelled us to create the Shark Eyes concept initially, before we even understood that the idea has millions of years of evolutionary validation behind it and a remarkable scientific foundation.
EXPERT INSIGHTS
Brinkley Davies
Marine Biologist, Conservationist
Exmouth, Western Australia
Over the course of my life in the ocean — first as a surfer growing up in South Australia, and later through years working in shark research, diving and marine science — I’ve had the rare opportunity to observe how different shark species respond to their environment.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that sharks are not a single behavioural category. Species vary dramatically in temperament, curiosity, and risk assessment. In my experience, many sharks are highly perceptive animals that respond noticeably to changes in colour, posture, movement, and even the feeling of being watched.
White sharks in particular occupy a unique ecological niche. As apex predators, they have evolved as highly efficient hunters, finely tuned to detect vulnerability and uncertainty. Yet they are not invulnerable — orcas, for example, are known to predate on large sharks. Witnessing an orca body-slam a tiger shark in the wild was a powerful reminder that even dominant predators operate within a broader hierarchy of risk.
I believe there is still a significant gap in our understanding of how white sharks interpret unfamiliar objects or stimuli in their environment. While they often employ stealth and the element of surprise in hunting, they also spend time assessing and shadowing potential targets before making a decision. This raises important questions: how do they behave when confronted with something they are uncertain about? And could understanding their natural caution — particularly in relation to perceived threats — help inform non-lethal deterrent strategies. It’s through this understanding of the various factors in the shark space that I consider Shark Eyes a valuable tool for safety, especially as a versatile and accessible tech that everyone can adopt, no matter their activity in the water.
Greg Pickering
Abalone diver of 45 years, champion spearfisherman.
World record holder for a 46.2kg Spanish mackerel
Port Lincoln, South Australia
I think there's definitely some merit in it. It's all a big learning curve understanding how sharks think, but I think the idea of having eyes on, eyes looking is definitely something that's going to help prevent shark attacks.
Sharks are very cautious to make sure everything is safe for them before they attack, they tend to circle around in and out of visibility and it’s hard to see them. They definitely know where your eyes are and they always try to go around or come from another angle out of sight. They’re just amazingly well camouflaged, they’re real hunters for sure. They’ve got to be careful they don’t damage their jaw, they won’t be able to feed and they eventually will die. It’s self preservation. I think being able to convince a potential predator that you can see them is definitely something in your favour.
Andre Rerekura
Acclaimed underwater camera operator, commercial diver, shipwreck hunter
Exmouth, Western Australia
As a commercial diver and underwater camera operator I've spent my whole career exploring remote and risky corners of the ocean. I’ve seen first hand the way sharks instinctively pursue the element of surprise and how eye contact can take it away and shift behaviour. It’s this experience that gives me trust that Shark Eyes keeps me safer in the water. It’s also super low cost and I can use it diving, surfing or swimming with no hassle.
Shanan Worrall
Commercial diver, spearfisherman, big wave surfer and specimen shell collector
Margaret River, Western Australia
““When broken down, it’s such a simple concept. I think it's in human nature to look to more complicated ideas as a bulletproof solution to shark mitigation. Simple solutions are sometimes the best.
There is just too much anecdotal evidence around this being an effective means of defense to ignore. Nature has adapted to the use of eyespots. Most accomplished watermen acknowledge the fact that line of sight changes sharks behaviour. Professor Neil Jordans “iCow” study proved to be 100% effective. What we have seen so far during our own testing, is pretty compelling."
Nush Freedman
Natural history filmmaker, conservationist.
Exmouth, Western Australia
“Working as a natural history filmmaker I've had a lot of experience filming and interacting with various shark species. Tigers, bulls, whites and others - I've seen the power of eye contact with sharks and many other marine species too. It’s one of the simplest tools available to us to protect our space in the water.
When you look at great whites they tend to keep their distance and approach from different angles, always trying to approach you from the blind side. This is pretty common knowledge amongst divers who have spent a heap of time in the ocean and with different animals.
When out filming, we consciously use eye contact or a lack of, to give the shark confidence to get closer. By cautiously turning away and keeping an eye on the shark out of the corner of your mask, you can get the shark to come in closer before turning at the critical moment to get the shot.
Ian ‘Pucko’ Puckeridge
Spearfishing veteran. 9x Australian Champion.
Bondi Beach, New South Wales
I've had hundreds of close encounters over the years with sharks, I've had guns eaten and big great whites come and eat fish off my spear. Eye contact makes a big difference. The big sharks always try to go from behind to bite you without getting hurt.
As soon as you've got eye contact on them again, they disappear back into the gloom. They're definitely affected by eye contact. This is an important thing for surfers to adopt in my opinion.
Bull sharks are a very visual predator. We went to a spot recently, my daughter jumped in the water first and a heap of bull sharks swam straight up to her, so I had to jump in the water. As soon as there was another set of eyes, they all settled back down, disappeared into the gloom, but yeah, they're a visual, very visual predator.
A lot of sharks, like whites seem to charge up from below to attack their prey. And having a shark eye on the bottom of your board might be the thing that puts it off its run.
Valerie Taylor AM
Conservationist, Underwater Innovator and Jaws filmmaker.
Manly Beach, New South Wales
"Sharks and wild animals... like any wild creature, they know when they're being watched. Sharks have respect for other marine animals that have big teeth and big eyes. I know that from experience. The shark would always choose the bait that wasn't looking at it. That's what nature intends it to do”
They will confront you. You confront them, they'll go away, give you a bit of thought, try and come up behind you. They expect their potential prey to act fearful, to flee. If you know that, you've got it. Don't behave like prey. Behave like an equal."
Nature intends for that shark to clean up the sick, the old and the unwary. They're not stupid. They've evolved over millions of years. If they were stupid they wouldn't have made it. Humans and sharks have to coexist. We go into their environment. It's our decision. It's up to us to react accordingly to the environment that we have entered. We can coexist, but we have to do it on their terms. It's simple."
Shane Ackerman
Big wave surfer, spearfisherman. Wollongong, New South Wales
Sharks are ambush predators. The way they attack is via the element of surprise, so it makes a lot of sense to me to use a set of eyes to defend against that. As soon as you make eye contact with a shark, their demeanour changes straight away, they become much more shy - unless they’re in a feeding frenzy in which case it’s probably safest to just get out of the water or move away. I see this all the time.
High up in the water column is where the action happens. I find if you make eye contact and hold your ground, you can assert dominance and force sharks back down lower in the water column. This is fundamental knowledge that anybody who dives seriously understands. There’s always going to be outlier sharks that are super aggressive, but generally speaking this is helpful knowledge to stay safer around sharks. The more you understand about how they move, the safer you’re going to feel.
Dr. Kristen Perks
Marine Scientist
Esperance, Western Australia
As a marine scientist, researching the relevant scientific literature, it simply makes sense that a visual deterrent for sharks has merit and is worth researching further. This is further strengthened in my mind after seeing and hearing the overwhelming number of anecdotal experiences with sharks from experienced water people. As a mum and a local resident of Esperance, everyone is desperate for something to be done to help us safely co-exist with Sharks. I strongly believe a visual deterrent can be one of many tools that can help make our families and communities to be safer and subsequently increasing our enjoyment of being in the ocean.
Oska Caldwell
Crayfisherman, surfer and lifelong waterman.
Kalbarri, Western Australia
Sharks in WA.. you can’t go diving without seeing them. As a spearfisherman, you naturally know that your eyes make such a difference. I’ve seen eye contact change behaviour so many times with both sharks and fish, so it’s good peace of mind for me to have Shark Eyes watching my back, whether it’s surf or dive days.
Sam Moyle
Founder of Ocean Heroes, Director of Jock Clough Marine Foundation.
Perth, Western Australia
Amongst the challenges of shark mitigation, I consider Shark Eyes to be a really valuable tool in keeping people safer in the water. When you understand the behavioural insight behind the concept, the first hand anecdotal experience that backs it up and the efforts that Shanan and the team are going to towards researching the concept further, it’s certainly something with real merit in addressing an ongoing challenge for our ocean community.
OUR SOLUTION
Intentional Design
We designed Shark Eyes to look distinctly different from anything a shark considers prey, with colour, contrast and shape optimised for distance. The eyes appear more human than seal or whale, carrying no association with food. Blue light travels further than any other colour underwater, enabling maximum effective range. Knowing sharks use the edge of visibility during early investigation, distance was a key design priority. We recommend placement that allows distinct contrast between the deterrent and surrounding surface.
Seamless Versatility
Choose the application that suits your activity. Stickers for the underside of surfboards, bodyboards, SUPS and kayaks. Mask straps, tank covers and wetsuits featuring the deterrent are designed to watch the back of divers beneath the surface. Oh, and if you don’t want to spend the twenty bucks? Go get creative with a marker. This is about keeping our ocean community safe.
Non-Invasive, Personal Mitigation
We’re passionate about the idea of non-invasive mitigation. Where we can keep people safe without hurting the ocean in the process. We don’t pretend to have all the answers, or a bulletproof solution - that doesn’t exist in the wild, at least not yet. What we do have is something of real value you can use now to be proactive about your safety, that is backed by some of the most dedicated waterpeople on the planet.
We know that government mitigation measures can only protect a tiny portion of the coast, so we consider personal shark deterrents to be a sensible part of our community response to increased shark interactions.
CHOOSE YOUR DETERRENT
FAQs
Does the Shark Eyes Deterrent work in poor visibility conditions?
When water clarity is poor, it can be reasoned that the investigation process of any shark takes place in a compressed time period and distance compared to a scenario with great visibility. It poses the question, would sharks ignore one of their primary mechanisms for self-preservation and hunting success entirely when water clarity worsens? Logically, you would expect that investigation via their other sensory mechanisms takes place at distance whilst the visual inspection comes into play when it is allowedThis scenario also poses further thought. It can also be reasoned that without an extended opportunity to investigate a would-be target, the shark is going to be extra wary when entering close proximity without visual inspection. This is a future subject of our research project and certainly requires further investigation.
Does it attract sharks?
As the Shark Eyes Deterrent is intentionally unlike anything else found in the marine environment, there is no short term association of these eyes representing a food source. Conversely, there is millions of years of evolutionary process behind eyespots and eye contact evoking an embedded response of survival and as a defence mechanism.
Eyespots exploit a deep-seated psychological response in predator nervous systems that have been shaped by tens of millions of years of coevolution. In evolutionary terms, animals displaying prominent eyes are aware predators, entailing potential danger or larger than they appear. Given that eyespots have evolved independently across insects, fish, amphibians, appearing in roughly one in ten coral reef fish species alone, it is fair to say that eyespots have been validated as a tool for reducing predation and better survival outcomes.
Understanding this and knowing that self-preservation will always be the priority in the natural world, we can view the eyespots as representative of risk, rather than signifying an opportunity. As an unfamiliar shape in the water, i.e not the same as a seal, whale or other prey species that a shark would have encountered many times over it’s lifetime, we are an unknown object that warrants further investigation. In this scenario, we want to use all measures available to us that influence the shark to consider us a risky, unknown target and move on elsewhere.
Further reading
Hemingson, C.R., Cowman, P.F., Hodge, J.R. & Bellwood, D.R. (2021). Drivers of eyespot evolution in coral reef fishes. Evolution, 75(4), 903-914.
Merilaita et al. (2011) - "Number of eyespots and their intimidating effect on naïve predators" - Behavioral Ecology 22:1326-1331
Don’t sharks have poor vision?
Larger shark species that represent the majority of the threat to humans have varying degrees of visual acuity, but all use vision as an integral part of their foraging process. Great White, Tiger sharks and even Bull sharks have been shown to strongly depend on visual cues for both success and self-preservation.
What about Bull sharks?
Bull sharks are often found in conditions with lower visibility, and are adapted as such. They still depend on vision, but at a closer distance as clarity allows. They have advanced electrosensing capability with double the pores to white or tiger sharks, so they will logically look to this in early stages of investigation. Interestingly, there is considerable overlap in the rod and cone structure of the white shark and bull shark, but it is considered that the bull shark is even more dependent on contrast and likely completely colourblind. Bull sharks have significantly more electroreceptive pores (1,852) than white sharks (812) or tiger sharks (798), suggesting bull sharks require electroreception capabilities for success in turbid waters.
We have first hand experience of bull and tiger sharks redirecting at the last moment in poor visibility conditions, passing by at speed with pectoral fins lowered. These kind of experiences have given us confidence that the Shark Eyes Deterrent and eye contact still hold merit at short range.
It must be respected that limited visibility conditions will always represent a scenario of elevated risk for human / shark interactions due to the ability of the shark to remain undetected until it is in dangerous proximity. When one of us has highly attuned electrosensing capabilities and the other (us..) is relying purely on visual assessment to respond to the situation, it is certainly recommended to exercise extreme caution in these situations where we’re at an inherent disadvantage.
Why is non-invasive mitigation important?
We appreciate this is far from a simple topic, but ultimately we are choosing to pursue an outcome where we can protect human safety with minimal harm to the ecosystem. At the core of this discussion is the question of why we treat sharks differently to other species that are commercially or recreationally fished. There are some key points to consider.
Apex predators such as sharks are keystone species - the whole structure of the ecosystem is built around them. Change anything to do with these species for better or worse and you’ll see widespread and complex implications trickle down the entire food chain. Wolves in Yellowstone are the most famous example of this process, known as a trophic cascade. Where taking out something at the top had immense and unexpected consequences that rippled throughout the entire ecosystem. Affecting hundreds of species and even reshaping the landscape by redirecting the rivers that cut through Yosemite National Park.
Whilst these are complex and dynamic natural processes that represent a moving target to study, we know enough to see that sharks aren’t an optional part of a healthy ocean, so any tool for shark safety that contributes to coexistence can only be a step in the right direction. This is far from simple, but we hope that the Shark Eyes Deterrent can continue as a step in the right direction and that our ongoing research can continue to explore natural solutions of coexistence.
Further reading: Some animals are more equal than others: trophic cascades explained. Wolves in Yellowstone, How Sea Otters Save the Reef,
How has your testing process worked so far?
Methodology of our primary trial is evolving and yet to be finalised, but preliminary trials have been undertaken with two otherwise identical cylindrical objects, each with a very small amount of homogenised attractant (pilchards) inside. One side has the eyes, one side does not. With an aerial camera and up to four long deployment cameras on underwater tripods, we can observe the trajectory, speed and behaviour throughout an interaction.
Have you chummed the water during testing?
We are working hard to replicate the most natural interaction possible within the inherent limitations of our setup and resources. A more substantial amount of attractant in the water would likely make our research much easier, but we are consciously seeking to study sharks in a calm, investigative state - not an aggravated one that is unrealistic to the real world scenario of our product.
Who has funded your testing?
To date, all preliminary research expeditions have been entirely self funded by Shark Eyes. We have enough belief in what we’ve collectively seen underwater that we felt we had little choice but to begin this process off our own back. Testing has been undertaken with marine scientists Dr. Mark Porter, Dr. Kristen Perks and operationally conducted by Shark Eyes founder Shanan Worrall and Terra Australis team members Andre Rerekura and Nush Freedman.
Now that preliminary trials have been completed, we are progressing to the main body of research by engaging a behavioural specialist, evolving methodology and working to secure funding to complete the project.
PRACTICAL SHARK SAFETY
LEARN MORE
ETHICS & DISCLAMER
WARNING:
Shark Eyes Visual Shark Deterrent is designed to reduce risk, but cannot prevent all interactions with marine species, nor control your exposure to high risk situations that no deterrent can mitigate. It should not be regarded as a failsafe solution. When dealing with the complexity of wild animals, variable conditions and a dynamic, marine environment there is always an inherent risk assumed by entering the water. We encourage all water users to assess the inherent risk of their water activities and consider if Shark Eyes Deterrent technology is a useful addition to their shark safety toolkit. Always rely on local advice and never rely solely on a personal shark deterrent to guarantee safety in the water.
