"They turned to wearable shark deterrents, including magnetic ankle bands designed to overwhelm a shark's electroreceptors - the sensitive "sixth sense" pores the predators use to detect the faint electrical heartbeats of nearby prey. Other products on the market rely on electrical currents, while some use scent. Erica Fox, a seasoned triathlete and Kelp Krawlers member, was wearing one such device Dec. 21, 2025, when she was found dead. Her body was discovered along the Davenport shoreline in Santa Cruz County, about 25 miles from where she was last seen. Fox's death - now under investigation and suspected to have involved a shark - has sparked scrutiny among swim club members about whether the devices meaningfully reduce risk. A Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office spokesperson said the agency could not confirm whether an autopsy had been performed or whether Fox had suffered a shark bite. Witnesses reported seeing a shark breach just offshore at Lovers Point that morning, where Fox was leading a group of about a dozen swimmers. Many of them had purchased Sharkbanz-branded products after a 2022 attack injured fellow Kelp Krawlers member Steve Bruemmer, who survived but suffered serious injuries."
"After a shark attack injured one of their own nearly three years ago, members of the Kelp Krawlers - who swim weekly around Lovers Point in Monterey County - began searching for something that might make the open ocean feel safer."
"Sharkbanz is among the most widely recognized brands in a field of shark deterrents marketed to swimmers, surfers and divers. Other companies include Ocean Guardian, Rpela and SharkOff, each claiming its product can repel sharks using electrical, magnetic or electromagnetic fields."
Kelp Krawlers adopted wearable shark deterrents after a member was seriously injured nearly three years earlier. Swimmers tried magnetic ankle bands meant to overwhelm sharks' electroreceptors, along with devices using electrical currents or scent. Erica Fox was wearing a deterrent when she was found dead Dec. 21, 2025, along the Davenport shoreline about 25 miles from her last known location; her death is under investigation and suspected to have involved a shark. Witnesses saw a shark breach near Lovers Point during a group swim. Popular brands include Sharkbanz, Ocean Guardian, Rpela and SharkOff.
Read at The Mercury News
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]