A ‘shark whisperer’ in the Bahamas balances a shark on the palm of his hand, after sending it to sleep.
The diver uses what’s known as tonic immobility (TI) to induce a state of temporary paralysis in a shark.
The usual method used to induce TI in shark species such as Blacktip and Whitetip reef sharks, Lemon and Leopard sharks is to invert the animal.
According to The Shark Trust the unnatural posture is thought to alter the shark’s sensi-motor interchange with the environment, causing it to go limp. The shark usually enters a state of TI in under a minute and may remain immobile for up to 15 minutes.
