In A Rare Attack Shark Rips Off Fisherman’s Head In Mexico.
A fisherman in Mexico has tragically lost his life after being attacked by a great white shark.
The incident, which occurred on January 5th in Tobari Bay along the Gulf of California, has garnered global attention due to its highly unusual nature. Experts have since come forward to suggest that the man may have fallen victim to a case of “mistaken identity”.
The victim, Manuel Lopez, had been collecting mollusks while scuba diving in the area when the shark attacked him, tearing off his head. Live Science has reported on the incident, which has reignited concerns about the risks associated with marine activities and the potential dangers posed by sharks.
“What happened is unfortunate, but we have to work, because that’s what we live on,” Jose Luis Reina, president of a local fishing cooperative in the area, told Mexican news outlet El Imparcial.
“There are many colleagues who avoid going out, but there are many others who run the risk,” he said.
Two other fishermen, who were on a support boat when the attack happened, saw the shark “ripping off his head and biting both shoulders”, according to the Live Science report.
Greg Skomal, a marine biologist at the University of Boston, told the outlet that he has never heard of such an attack.
“As rare as shark bites on humans can be, decapitation is even more rare,” added Chris Lowe, the director of the Shark Lab at California State University in Long Beach.
The experts said that sharks rarely bite people and when they do, they typically grab the legs after mistaking it for prey, such as seal. But as soon as they realize it’s a person, they leave him.
“If sharks are excited and hungry, they make rash decisions and bite what they consider a potential prey item,” Gavin Naylor, a marine biologist at the University of Florida, said pointing to this being a case of mistaken identity.
The incident was the first shark attack of 2023, said Newsweek, adding that a diver was killed by a shark in the same region last year.
Great white sharks are most commonly seen in the Gulf of California between December and January, when pregnant females visit the area.
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