The first deadly shark attack of the year was recorded in Mexico after a man scuba diving for shellfish was killed in a gruesome attack by a great white shark that resulted in the diver’s decapitation.
Manuel López was diving for shellfish in Mexico’s Tobari Bay in the Gulf of California when he encountered a 19-foot great white shark at a depth of about 50 feet around 11:30 a.m. on January 5, the website TrackingSharks.com reported.
Two other fishermen who were with him at the time of the attack said López was beheaded.
“He was diving when the animal attacked him, impressively ripping off his head and biting into both shoulders,” José Bernal, a man speaking for the fisherman, said of the attack.
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A great white shark being baited by an animal guide
((Photo by Alexis Rosenfeld/Getty Images))
Bernal said that divers in the area had previously been warned about an increased presence of sharks in the area and that most divers had not been in the water in the days before the attack.
Lopez was reportedly diving with a surface-supplied air source where compressor pumps send air through hoses attached to the diver who is also attached to the boat with attached ropes.
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Great white sharks gather seasonally off the coast of Guadalupe Island; divers dive inside the cages of the Nautilus Explorer boat to safely swim with the sharks
(Photo by Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
TrackingSharks.com reported that seafood shortages have led to a surge in demand that has prompted some divers to brave the dangerous waters despite the risks due to economic hardship.
Great white sharks are so prevalent in the Sea of Cortez, particularly in December and January when pregnant sharks head to the waters to feed.
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This undated image released by the Discovery Channel shows a great white shark.
(Discovery Channel via AP)
A 56-year-old diver died in the area in February last year while diving for scallops and another diver died in the area in 2018.
