Photo by George Krebus
A 5.5-meter-long great white shark decapitated a diver earlier this month while collecting shellfish off the coast of Mexico, reportedly the first fatal shark attack of the year.
The horrific tragedy occurred on Jan. 5 while Manuel Lopez, 53, was diving to collect a type of shellfish near Benito Juarez in Sonora, on Mexico’s west coast, Tracking Sharks reported. According to the report, he dived from the town of Fardon, Colorado, to the bottom of the ocean without an oxygen tank in order to catch the creatures, which usually reside at depths of 10 to 17 meters.
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“He dived when the animal attacked him, tore his head off completely and bit both shoulders,” eyewitness Jose Bernal told the media.
The attack followed an increase in local shark sightings, prompting fishermen in the area to be on high alert. “Local divers were warned about the presence of sharks in the area, and most of them did not go fishing for several days,” Bernal said.
However, Lopez, who reportedly needed money, saw an opportunity to profit due to the shellfish shortage. He apparently decided to ignore the warnings and go on his last fishing trip. It is not clear what prompted the shark to attack, but it may have been attracted to the eddies and sounds Lopez made while he collected shellfish.
The sharks also sometimes mistakenly believe that humans in wetsuits are seals, which can cause the sharks to take “experimental” bites. And although the creatures usually move on after realizing that the victim is not their preferred prey, the “nibble” can turn out to be catastrophic due to the shark’s serrated rows of teeth.
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