I've mounted cameras on my car several times, and the car has rarely, if ever, fought back as if the device was uncomfortable. What a comfy life we lead; we can mount our cameras on cars, our helmets, even on our deck windows, and we rarely get rejected and/or threatened by these inanimate objects. So, let's try something that's a bit of a challenge. Let's try a shark.
That's exactly the thought that occurred to Greg Marshall in 1992 when he and his assistant Nick Caloyianis attempted to mount his new "CritterCam" to a Great White shark off the coast of Cancun. On their first try, things got ugly. Nick recounts how, after the shark was aggravated by the prodding from a handler, it decided he, the humble and peaceful cameraman, was the threat. The shark attempted to terminate the camera, then Nick himself. He escaped without losing any limbs or extremities. You'd think they would have tried it with something more tame first, but then again, who wants to see a whale the size of a bus meander about all day?
Cameras back then were rather large, having to accommodate for tape/film and massive batteries. Today, GoPros and Sony Action Cams are the standard, and they're comparatively tiny and insanely mountable, even on animals, as demonstrated by our in-house test with the GoPro Hero 2 and our very own Duke Sweetwood. Here's hoping that Mr. Marshall and Mr. Caloyianis are having an easier time with their footage these days.