A man aged 40 has passed away following an encounter with a shark species previously considered harmless. The incident occurred as the tourist was swimming and recording footage approximately 100 meters from the shore in Hadera, Israel. Witnesses reported that the man was surrounded by dusky sharks, with one shark appearing to attack his GoPro camera before he cried out for help.
The man vanished from sight as the water turned red, signaling the presence of shark fins. Despite rescue efforts, the man could not be located in time, as confirmed by local reports. Subsequent searches at sea recovered small amounts of human remains, aiding in the victim’s identification. However, it was determined that he had been consumed by multiple sharks during the incident, according to a report in Ethology journal.
Although dusky sharks can reach lengths of up to 3 meters (10 feet), they are typically timid around humans. Researchers attribute the rare shark attack to various factors, including animal instinct during feeding frenzies, warm water from desalination plants, and the disposal of food waste in the region. Additionally, human interaction, such as feeding the sharks and providing fish scraps by local boat operators for tourism purposes, has led to the sharks associating humans with food, resulting in a new behavior termed “begging.”
This altered behavior has caused some sharks to approach divers directly in search of food handouts, exhibiting a frenzied feeding pattern. Scientists emphasize the need to prevent future dusky shark fatalities by halting artificial feeding practices. They stress the importance of enforcing a complete ban on feeding sharks to eliminate the begging behavior, which they consider the most effective approach in ensuring shark safety.