Selfie-seeking tourists blamed for ‘dangerous rise in shark attacks’
Selfie-obsessed tourists are fuelling a dangerous rise in shark attacks it's been claimed, following a string of recent deadly incidents around the world.
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Scientists are blaming a growing desire to photograph and "stroke" the beasts, fuelled by online influencers, on the sudden rise in shark-related “attacks”.
They claim the popularity of social media is encouraging tourists to pursue the perfect shot despite the risks.
It comes as scientists emphasised that unprovoked aggression towards humans remains an extremely uncommon occurrence.
"I don't encourage, as many influencers do on social networks, to cling to a shark's dorsal fin or stroke it, under the pretext of proving that they are harmless and supposedly working for their conservation," Professor Eric Clua, of Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) University in France, has said.
The professor, who led research into the surge in shark attacks, has highlighted a notable lack of fear towards the predator - likening the scenario to a human approaching a stranger's dog without any regard for their safety.
“People know the difference between a [Yorkshire terrier] and a pit bull, whereas they don’t know the difference between a blacktip reef shark and a bull shark, which are their marine equivalents,” he said.
“There’s an incredibly negative perception bias towards sharks … they are responsible for fewer than ten human deaths a year worldwide, whereas dogs are responsible for more than 10,000 deaths and are perceived positively by the public.”
The study follows a string of recent shark attacks around the world - the most recent coming after a father-of-four was attacked on a beach in Israel.
His remains were discovered following a two-day search, with Israeli media identifying the victim as Barak Tzach, a father-of-four in his 40s.
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Conservation, looked at records of shark encounters in the shallows off French Polynesia between 2009 and 2023.
According to the data, of the 74 bites recorded during this period, only around 5 per cent were found likely to have been defensive, with the incident happening immediately after the shark was perceived as threatening by the human.
Wider analysis of documents known as the 'shark attack files' reveal that bites and attacks occurring in French Polynesia tended to involve small and medium-sized sharks.
Common species recorded included grey reef sharks, lemon sharks, blacktip reef sharks and the widely known nurse sharks.
It comes weeks after a woman was pictured in agony after losing both of her hands in a shark attack in the Carribean.
The incident saw the woman, who was attempting to photograph the apex predictor, set upon in the shallows as she attempted to take a selfie with the beast - with her husband leaping to her aid as he desperately attempted to fight off the predator.
The woman, said to be Canadian, was attacked by the shark in the Turks and Caicos islands, reportedly while trying to take a photo.
The 55-year-old also lost part of her thigh in the attack.
Horrifying images show her family trying to stem the flow of blood after the mauling.
The woman was rushed to a local hospital for treatment.