[Paddlewise] Yum Yum Yellow

I couldn't resist biting on this one, but not sure of the net result.  Here in
Texas A&M at Galveston's Library I've found some intriguing references, which
I will quote below.  Both works are copyrighted, so excerpts are brief and I
recommend you go to the original for the full story.





In H. David Baldridge's Shark Attack (Drake House/Hallux, Inc., 1974) page 48,
a discussion of YUM YUM YELLOW describes the color  "To shark researchers,
this term stands for International Orange and the related bright yellow and
orange-yellow colors most often employed in connection with such sea survival
equipment as life jackets, rafts, etc."  He talks about the importance of high
visibility in search and rescue efforts and notes "Unfortunately, conspicuity
is not a selective quality, and to be easily seen by one searcher is to be
easily seen by all, be they rescuers or predators."





Dr. Baldridge also discusses the work of Dr. Scott Johnson of the Navy and
Ernest McFadden of the FAA, and their observation of colors and shark attacks
in a controlled experiment in 1971.  The yellow life vest in their study was
attacked in preference to any other color they used, and the attacks continued
on the yellow colored vests until they were destroyed.  





Another book of the same era, The Book of Sharks by Richard Ellis (Grosset and
Dunlap, 1975), page 206, the author states "Color does play a role in the
study of shark repellents".  He also refers to Dr. Johnson's work as above,
and refers to a "Shark Screen" that Dr. Johnson patented to protect its wearer
by using a plastic bag that interferes with the olfactory and visual senses
the shark uses to select its prey/meal.





Yech, and I paddle a yellow-decked kayak, and wear a Mango-colored life
jacket.  Doesn't that just sound yummy?





So, the YUM YUM YELLOW isn't just an urban legend or sea yarn - I'll leave the
rest up to your individual interpretation.





Natalie, the paddlin' librarian, Wiest


Galveston/Houston, Texas





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