"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. 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."
"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."
Members of the Kelp Krawlers began using wearable shark deterrents after a shark injured a swimmer nearly three years earlier. Devices include magnetic ankle bands that target sharks' electroreceptors, electric-current devices, and scent-based products. Erica Fox, a 55-year-old co-founder of the Kelp Krawlers and seasoned triathlete, was wearing a deterrent when she disappeared Dec. 21, 2025; her body was recovered along the Davenport shoreline about 25 miles from her last seen location. Her death is under investigation and suspected to involve a shark. Her death prompted club members to question whether the devices meaningfully reduce risk.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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