Bermuda Shark Oil Barometers, Bermuda Shark Oil

By Horst Augustinovic

Bermudians, especially St. David’s Islanders, have for centuries used the oil of a shark’s liver to predict storms and other severe weather. The oil is poured into a bottle and hung outside. After a while the appearance of the oil alters consistently with changes in the weather, from a clear golden color to milky white during an approaching storm.

There are several theories on why shark oil changes with the whether. The one that seems most likely is that electrical changes in the atmosphere affect the shark’s liver and alert the shark to move to deeper water before a bad storm. When removed from the shark, the oil retains this function.

Bermuda Shark Oil

The Shark Oil is cloudy during Hurricane Fabian in 2003.


The Shark Oil is clear and the owner has gone fishing.

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