Earlier this month, a 19-foot-long great white shark decapitated a diver while fishing for crustaceans off the coast of Mexico. It was reportedly the first fatal shark attack of the year.
A horrific tragedy struck on January 5 when Manuel Lopez, 53, was collecting ax stripes, a type of mollusk, off the coast of Benito Juárez, Sonora, on the west coast of Mexico. A tracking shark reported. He is said to have dived to the seafloor from the town of Paledon, Colorado, without oxygen tanks to capture the creatures that normally live at depths of 36 to 59 feet.
Lopez’s shellfishing expedition was interrupted when a shark bit off Lopez’s head, according to Tracking Sharks.
“He was diving when the animal attacked him, impressively ripping his head off and biting off both shoulders,” eyewitness Jose Bernal told the outlet.
The attack follows an increase in local shark sightings that have put local fishermen on high alert. “Local divers had been warned that there were sharks in the area, but most hadn’t been out for several days,” Bernal said.
However, Lopez, who was reportedly in need of money, saw an opportunity to make the kill due to a lack of shellfish. increase.
It’s unclear what prompted the apex predator to attack, but tracked sharks report that the sharks may have been attracted to the turbulence and sounds produced when Lopez was harvesting mollusks. increase.
People are often mistaken for a seal Wearing a wetsuit can encourage sharks to “experimentally” bite.And while creatures typically move on after realizing their victims aren’t their preferred prey, this exploratory nibble can prove devastating due to shark lines. there is Serrated flesh-cutting teeth.
According to Tracking Sharks, divers are more likely to be mistaken for seals in December and January, when great white sharks are most abundant in the Gulf of California. Pregnant sharks are said to seek out blubber-filled sea lions during that time.