Click to get full interview video here
It was his dream to build a jello filled life size dolphin. And so he did.
In this episode of the KJ Today Show, KJ welcomes Dr. Mike Heithaus, known for his appearances on Shark Fest. In it’s final week on Disney+ and National Geographic, Dr. Heithaus promises even more captivating shark adventures and yes, there is jello.
The upcoming Sharkfest special titled “Sharks versus Dolphins: Bahamas Battleground” allowed Heithaus to fulfill a long-standing desire to build a life-size jello dolphin. This unique creation, made from jello mix with the same consistency as a dolphin, was used to simulate shark bites. By examining the bite marks on the jello dolphin, the researchers could determine the size and species of the sharks involved in these interactions.
Speaking on when he called Florida University to propose the idea, he recalls, “I shocked them to silence when I asked, hey, you know, you build ballistic gel dummies for law enforcement. Could you build me a dolphin? There was a lot of pause and then it was like, sure. And it has to be edible. And gooey, the dolphin was born and trotted out to at first terrify bull sharks and then eventually get bitten by one.”
Dr. Heithaus also introduces a special upcoming show called “Saved from a Shark,” which explores instances where people believe they were intentionally saved by dolphins or whales from shark encounters. He emphasizes that while we may not fully understand the motivations behind these actions, the presence of dolphins in these situations often results in the sharks being chased away.
Get the full interview more crazy shark stories here:
Shark Fest can be seen now on Disney+ and National Geographic as well as Hulu.