Shark Attack Test- Human Blood vs. Fish Blood

Summary

In a daring experiment, the creator of this video script delves into shark behavior, debunking myths about their response to human blood. After testing sharks' reactions to human and fish blood, he orchestrates a feeding frenzy in a human-shaped shark cage during Discovery's Shark Week. Despite initial setbacks, including a positive COVID-19 test, he successfully executes his plan, experiencing an adrenaline-pumping encounter with sharks firsthand. The experiment reveals sharks' strong attraction to fish blood, offering a unique perspective on their predatory instincts.

Takeaways

• 🔬 The script describes an experiment designed to test sharks' reactions to human and fish blood, challenging the myth of sharks being attracted to human blood from a distance.
• 🤿 The narrator built a human-shaped shark cage to be in the middle of a shark feeding frenzy, noting that sharks were actually inside the cage, contrary to its purpose.
• 📈 A previous experiment involved pumping human blood into the water, which did not attract sharks significantly, suggesting that sharks are not as aggressive as portrayed in movies.
• 🐟 The narrator's curiosity led to a second experiment comparing the sharks' reactions to fish blood versus human blood, aiming to create a feeding frenzy.
• 🌴 The experiment took place in The Bahamas during Shark Week, with the help of Discovery and other collaborators.
• 🛫 Due to a positive COVID-19 test, the narrator had to find a workaround to travel to The Bahamas via a private jet, highlighting the challenges faced to conduct the experiment.
• 🌳 The narrator offset the carbon footprint of the flight by planting trees through teamtrees.org, demonstrating environmental responsibility.
• 💉 The team faced difficulties in obtaining human blood legally, opting to use cow's blood instead, which was confirmed by shark scientists to have the same effect on sharks.
• 🧪 The experiment involved placing surfboards with different types of blood in the ocean and observing shark behavior, with fish blood attracting the most sharks.
• 🦈 The results showed a stark difference in shark attraction, with fish blood drawing significantly more sharks than mammal blood or seawater control.
• 📊 The experiment concluded that sharks are more attracted to fish blood, leading to the creation of a feeding frenzy with the narrator in a shark cage as the finale.
• 🏝️ The script ends with a reflection on the experience, emphasizing the evolutionary instincts of sharks and the unique perspective gained by being in their environment.

Q & A

What was the purpose of the human-shaped shark cage designed by the speaker?

The human-shaped shark cage was designed to place the speaker in the middle of a shark feeding frenzy to observe shark behavior up close, although it was noted that the cage did not keep the sharks out as they entered the cage itself.

What myth did the speaker initially attempt to test with his experiment involving human blood in the water?

The speaker aimed to test the myth that sharks become crazed and ruthless killers if they smell even a single drop of human blood from a long distance away.

How did the sharks react to the human blood in the initial experiment conducted by the speaker?

In the initial experiment, the sharks were not particularly interested in the human blood, which was pumped into the water at a rate of 15 drops per minute for an hour, thus busting the myth from movies.

What was the main question the speaker wanted to answer with the second experiment involving fish blood versus human blood?

The speaker wanted to determine if sharks would react differently to fish blood compared to human blood and if the sharks would be more attracted to fish blood, potentially allowing the speaker to place himself in the center of a shark feeding frenzy.

Who joined the speaker for the second part of the experiment during Shark Week in The Bahamas?

The speaker was joined by Rober and the group Dude Perfect for the second part of the experiment, combining science, fun, and their collective experiences.

Why was the speaker initially unable to travel to The Bahamas for the experiment?

The speaker was unable to travel because his COVID-19 test came back positive, which led to him having to isolate and missing the opportunity to travel on a commercial flight to The Bahamas.

How did the speaker manage to travel to The Bahamas despite the travel restrictions from America?

The speaker found a loophole by traveling on a private jet, which was not restricted by the commercial flight ban from America to The Bahamas.

What did the speaker do to offset the carbon footprint of his private jet flight to The Bahamas?

The speaker used the website teamtrees.org to plant enough trees to offset the carbon emissions from his flight as well as the next 100 flights that the plane would take.

What was the method used to extract blood from fish for the experiment?

The speaker and his team used a blender to blend the fish and extract the blood, adding a little bit of water to help with the blending process.

Why did the speaker decide to use cow's blood instead of human blood for the experiment?

Cow's blood was used because it is difficult to legally obtain human blood, and shark scientists have shown that all mammal blood essentially smells the same to sharks, so using cow blood would not affect the results.

What was the outcome of the experiment comparing the attraction of sharks to mammal blood versus fish blood?

The experiment showed that the fish blood attracted a significantly higher number of sharks, with the mammal blood board being approached eight times and the fish blood board having 134 approaches from sharks.

What safety measures did the speaker take before entering the shark cage during the feeding frenzy?

The speaker wore 10 pounds of steel chainmail for protection and a vest filled with 20 pounds of lead weights to control his buoyancy and sinking speed.

How did the speaker describe his experience inside the shark cage during the feeding frenzy?

The speaker described the experience as insane and terrifying, with sharks bumping the cage and trying to eat him through the bottom of the cage, giving him a sense of what it's like to be prey.

What was the main takeaway the speaker had from his experience with the sharks?

The main takeaway was that sharks have evolved over 400 million years to be attracted to fish blood, and humans or cows would be a rare delicacy for them, not hardwired into their instincts.