How is this possible? Tonic Immobility

[Radar]

I caught an amazing doco on Discovery the other night. This man dubbed "The Sharkman" has figured out a way of hypnotizing sharks (not in captivity). It's called 'tonic immobility' and the sharks appear to love it.

He tried this on all kinds of sharks from tigers sharks to great whites. Check out this clip, keep in mind that he has a container of fresh meat next to him, but the sharks prefer the touch of tonic immobility than the food.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWEdStaaZyE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlzkXCjmNo4&feature=related

Hope you enjoy it.

Ray

[hpcoolahan]

wont see me trying that:Oh_No: :Oh_No: :Oh_No:

Pat

[timthelder]

A few years back I watched a Geographic special on sharks. In one of the segments, a large White came up out of the water at the back of a small boat by the motor,(apparently to take a chomp out of the guy leaned over the edge.) and the biologist, placed the palm of his hand on the very large snout of the shark, and gently pushed him back down in the water. The shark seemed dazed for several seconds.

A sharks snout, is loaded with several thousand olfactory receptors (a shark can smell one drop of blood 1km away.) What the theory is, is that when these receptors are touched directly it 'overloads' the sharks senses to the point of making him immobile. (kind of like radar after that last fosters.):biggrin:

I will try and remember this when I decide to go skinnydipping on the Barrier reef.