Manuel Nieblas López was simply probing through the ocean's depths to gather shellfish with the help of oxygen supplied from the surface. However, he ultimately met his demise when a great white shark gruesomely attacked and decapitated him.
Rare, Gruesome Great White Shark Attack
According to Live Science, the great white shark behind this morbid attack had a length of 19 feet. Such a tragedy hit the headlines because it was extremely unusual.
Tracking Sharks reports that when the attack happened, López was swimming around 36 to 59 feet below the surface. There were two other fishermen seated on a support boat when this tragedy took place. They saw the great white shark biting López's two shoulders and ripping off the diver's head. This was according to Jose Bernal, who spoke on behalf of the fishermen survivors.
As per the New York Post, this attack followed heightened shark sightings that warned fishermen in the area. Bernal shared how divers were warned that sharks were in the area and that several of these creatures did not go out for many days.
López, however, reportedly needed money and saw it as an opportunity amidst the shortage of shellfish. He allegedly ignored these cautions and embarked on the journey that led to his tragedy.
Tracking Sharks reports that, while the exact prompt of the attack is unclear, the creature may have been attracted to the sounds and turbulence from López as he was gathering the mollusks.
Do Sharks Usually Bite People?
It is rare for sharks to actually bite people. However, in such cases, when they actually do, the creature usually grabs the person's torso or legs, mistaking the person for prey, such as seals. The New York Post reports that divers tend to be mistaken for prey during December and January. This is when great white sharks rule the California Gulf. Pregnant ones are also said to look for fat sea lions.
After the experimental bite, the sharks release the person when they realize that the person is not their intended prey.
It is extremely rare and peculiar for sharks to bite off one's shoulders or head. The gruesome attack was extremely rare, to the point that Greg Skomiai, the shark program head at Massachusetts Marine Fisheries and a marine biologist from the University of Boston, stated that he had never heard of such an occurrence before. Chril Lowe, Shark Lab director at California State University, mentions that while it is rare for sharks to bite humans, decapitation is even more rare.
Experts think that mistaken identity is the most probable reason behind such an attack. According to marine biologist Gavin Naylor, who is from the University of Florida and who heads the ISAF (International Shark Attack Files) at the Florida Museum of Natural History, when sharks get hungry and excited, they could make impulsive decisions and end up biting potential prey. Naylor notes that it is important to remember that predators think quickly, considering how they may be left hungry if they succumb to hesitation.
Aside from this, the vision of sharks is not that great as well. This makes it difficult for them to differentiate humans from prey.
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