The U.S. Navy attempted to develop a shark attack repellant after many sailors were attacked during WWII. The first step was the formation of a "Shark Research Panel," which led to what we have today: the International Shark Attack File. When someone is attacked by a shark, anywhere in the world, the investigation closely resembles police work. "We're not reinventing the wheel. There's been no shortage of trial and error that went into police investigations and what we do follows," says George Burgess, the world's foremost shark attack investigator.

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