A man aged 40 has passed away following an attack by a previously believed harmless shark species. The individual, a tourist, was swimming and filming near the shore in Hadera, Israel, approximately 100m from the coast when he encountered dusky sharks.
Eyewitnesses reported that a shark made a sudden move toward the man’s GoPro camera, after which he was heard calling for help as he was being bitten. Subsequently, the man disappeared as the water turned red, with shark fins visible on the water’s surface.
Unfortunately, when rescue boats arrived, the man was no longer present, as per local reports. Subsequent sea searches recovered human remains that confirmed the victim’s identity but also indicated that he had been consumed by multiple sharks during the incident, as detailed in a report published in the Ethology journal.
While dusky sharks can reach lengths of around 3m (10ft), they are generally shy and cautious around humans. Researchers attribute the rare dusky shark attack to various factors, including natural instincts during feeding frenzies, warm water from desalination plants, and the disposal of food waste in the region.
Additionally, human interactions, such as feeding the sharks and boat operators attracting them with fish scraps for tourists, have led the sharks to associate humans with food, resulting in a behavior known as “begging.”
Observations have shown sharks approaching divers directly in search of food handouts, indicating a heightened competitive food environment off Israel’s Hadera, leading to frenzied feeding behavior among dusky sharks.
To prevent future dusky shark fatalities, scientists emphasize the importance of eliminating begging behavior through a complete ban on public artificial shark feeding. They argue that this measure is crucial in addressing the issue effectively.