Yellow Fins Attract Sharks?

[lindenbruce]

I hear they taste like chicken Seriously though, I have a set of twin jet fins I coated the edge of with white plasti-dip paint to help identify them when boat diving due to their popularity. One one occasion, and one time only, I was diving and had my fin tugged at twice. The second time I turned around to see what was going on and came face to face with a Sea Otter. The only thing I can think of is the light flashing off of the white attracted the little critter who dove down to have a look see. But that was the only time this has happened so any solid conclusions can not be drawn upon. B.

 

[archman]

I am convinced that we can make this happen if we paint the fins to look like mackerel and dip them in chum.

 

[Lost down under]

Research conducted by the University of Western Australia (and others I'm sure, but I'm aware of the UWA stuff) suggests sharks don't see colour (in the human sense, their vision is probably black and white) so your good to go! Given that research what others are saying regrading contrast is probably true, but I'm not personally aware of any research that suggests they interpret these contrasts as being prey, logic would seem to suggest the opposite.

(I'm no marine biologist so most of this post has come from either reading journals on a casual basis or surrounding myself with marine bios, I'm a geologist through and through! so I could well be wrong)

 

[archman]

You are sucking all the fun out of this...

 

[fnfalman]

Hi

I just purchased a pair of Yellow Scubapro Twin Jet fins from a Scubaboard mate. Just now, someone told me, "Sharks say 'Yum Yum Yellow ...'" Is this true that yellow fins attract sharks?

Jay

You see any sea lion or seal in yellow color?

 

[supergaijin]

Sharks- GW's in particular do eat things other than seals.

I believe the 'yummy yellow'' came about back in the 60's/70's when gear was tested in the water. They dropped a bunch of mannequins with differently coloured lifejackets in the water... and a disproportionate number of tooth marks was on yellow coloured gear. I think this is more to do with contrast than 'colour' as we know it.

Yellow is a contrasting colour with deep blue.


Certain spearo's will not dive in yellow fins.
www.wavescape.co.za/blog/shark-monitor/yellow-fin-warning.html

Sharks are also attracted to shiny objects (as are many other fish). Seriously consider removing rings and jewelry in murky water. I wouldn't be overly concerned with yellow personally, but if there was an abundance of 'prey' animals around that were yellow, I also wouldn't take unnecessary chances with big sharks like the GW.

 

[LowDrag]

One of my instructors from OW class always wears yellow fins and he never said anything about sharks coming in on him. I do know there are sharks in the Puget Sound where we took our OW class at the Sunrise Dive Resort. A buddy of mine was on a night dive at Sunrise when three sharks came in on him and his two dive buddies. One shark passed so close to them he actually rubbed one of the divers as he passed by. The other two circled once and disappeared into the darkness and never came back. The third shark also disappeared into the darkness never to be seen for the rest of the dive.

 

[drbill]

Don't know if it was the color yellow or the contrast or coincidence, but I have noticed sharks of two species being attracted to yellow fins on shark dives. I think Henry Ford was right.... "you can have them in any color you want, as long as it is black!"

 

[soonerwink]

If they are attracted to yellow then there are thousands of divers with yellow tanks that are in trouble.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Sharks- GW's in particular do eat things other than seals.

I believe the 'yummy yellow'' came about back in the 60's/70's when gear was tested in the water. They dropped a bunch of mannequins with differently coloured lifejackets in the water... and a disproportionate number of tooth marks was on yellow coloured gear. I think this is more to do with contrast than 'colour' as we know it.

Yellow is a contrasting colour with deep blue.
View attachment 161797

Certain spearo's will not dive in yellow fins.
www.wavescape.co.za/blog/shark-monitor/yellow-fin-warning.html

Sharks are also attracted to shiny objects (as are many other fish). Seriously consider removing rings and jewelry in murky water. I wouldn't be overly concerned with yellow personally, but if there was an abundance of 'prey' animals around that were yellow, I also wouldn't take unnecessary chances with big sharks like the GW.

Not true. Gw eat fish not just seals