A WORLD-FIRST “invisibility cloak” to protect surfers from sharks has been launched in Western Australia, the scene of five fatal attacks in recent years.
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Scientists from the University of WA, with designers Shark Attack Mitigation Systems (SAMS), have unveiled two new wetsuits that they say could save lives in the water.
Based on a breakthrough discovery that sharks are colour blind, one wetsuit, labelled the “Elude”, is designed to camouflage a swimmer or diver in the sea.
At the other extreme, the “Diverter” sports bold white and dark blue stripes, and is intended to mirror nature’s warning signs to ward off any potential shark attack.
More than two years in development, the suits, which retail at $495, went on sale via online distributor Radiator on Wednesday.
And Shaun Collin, from UWA’s Ocean Institute, said they had used a mix of scientific discoveries and observations about nature to come up with warning suit designs aimed at reducing the risk to swimmers, surfers and divers.