Brian Wynne, inventor of the Sharkstopper, got the idea in 2001. The device has versions for surfers, swimmers, scuba divers and personal watercraft. It claims to repels sharks.
The Sharkstopper uses, in part, recorded sounds of killer whales - a natural enemy of sharks. Author, and well-known shark expert, A. Peter Klimley was consulted on the viability of the product. He freely admitted that the theory was sound, but remained skeptical.
Anthony Sullivan put the Sharkstopper to the test on the April 29, 2009 episode of the Discovery Channel show Pitchmen. Billy Mays (Sullivan's partner) was on hand to chum the water, to give the product a full workout.
Sullivan emerged from his swim in shark infested waters unscathed. However, due to the possibility of someone getting hurt due to misuse, Mays and Sullivan decided against doing a commercial for the Sharkstopper.
