Watch: Putting a Camera on a Whale Shark | Expedition Raw
I'm out here putting Critter cams on whale sharks and hope to better understand their behavior along the reef. We spot a shark; it was coming up to the boat and actually very curious. I didn't really realize where the shark was. As soon as I jumped in the water, I jumped right in front of the thing. I just see the shark with its mouth open; I can't get out of the way. So, it proceeds just to run me over and go on its merry way.
I'm working with Brad Norman, he's a whale shark expert who's been studying the species for many years. He really has it down on how to get these cameras on the sharks. The method we use to attach the Critter cam to the whale shark doesn't hurt the shark; it doesn't put anything through the shark. Unlike other attachment methods that actually will stab or poke through the fin of the shark, at the end of the mission, the camera will release from the dorsal fin of the shark and float to the surface.
Then it will send out a signal and then we'll go pick up the camera in the boat. The coolest part was getting to be so up close and personal with such a large ocean animal. It really is a surreal experience. So, we're dropping this camera down to take a closer look at the volcano. Off it goes! [Applause] [Music]