Dr. Marianne Porter of Florida Atlantic University’s Biological Sciences department — who studies sharks and the mechanics of how they swim — had two non-scientific reactions when she heard Olympic legend Michael Phelps was racing a shark.
“Oh, Shark Week,” she recalled thinking while speaking with For The Win about Phelps’s chances. “And that it was awesome that swimming is getting attention in an off-Olympic year.”
But what about Phelps’s shot of beating a Great White on the upcoming Discovery special this weekend?
Dr. Porter explained that Makos and other big sharks have been clocked going “at least 20 MPH.” She went back and looked at Phelps’s performance in a 400 IM race and reported he was going about 3.75 MPH.
Phelps himself has pointed out to USA TODAY Sports that his fastest race speed was about five to six miles per hour and that the monofin he’s wearing might boost him up to “8 to 10, maybe 12.”
What does all that mean to Porter?
“As scientists we don’t get paid very much,” she said with a laugh, “but I’m putting my money on the shark.”
The other question that needed answering was how to motivate a shark to “race.” Phelps hasn’t revealed during his press tour exactly what happens, only that they did get the creature to go in a straight line:
The other question that needed answering was how to motivate a shark to “race.” Phelps hasn’t revealed during his press tour exactly what happens, only that they did get the creature to go in a straight line:
“Sharks are pretty smart and they learn really well,” Porter said. “If they’re exposed to a stimulus, in a very short amount of time, they can figure out what they’re supposed to do for that stimulus.”
So what’s the stimulus that will get them to go fast in one direction? Take a wild guess: Something that resembles food.
“If you wanted to motivate it so it thought it was racing,” she added, “you might be able to do it with something that looks or smells delicious.”
Obviously — and thank goodness — that wasn’t Phelps himself.
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