Retailers in Vladivostok are seeing a boom in demand for a new must-have beach accessory — shark deterrents.
Shops in the far eastern city, which was struck by a series of shark attacks last summer, say they have seen the devices fly off the shelves since the swimming season began, Vesti television reported.
"We bought a trial batch, and they sold really well, despite the rather high price — 25,000 rubles ($780) apiece. We plan to order more," a retailer working in one shop told the channel.
The devices, which are said to work on all species including Great Whites and Tiger sharks, work by creating an electronic field around a swimmer that supposedly affects the sharks' hyper-sensitive noses.
On Wednesday, Vladivostok authorities warned weekend tourists and vacationers to avoid swimming off the more popular beaches on islands near the city because of the danger of shark attacks.
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