Dr. Oyoos survives 3-meter shark attack, defends it as defensive reaction

A Mexican marine scientist suffered a shark attack while conducting field research.

On the 1st, The New York Times, NYT, reported the story of marine biologist Dr. Mauricio Oyoos, who was recently bitten by a shark.

Dr. Oyoos visited the waters around Cocos Island, located approximately 640 km southwest of the Costa Rican mainland, on the 27th of last month. He was conducting conservation research by attaching identification tags to sharks to track individuals, according to reports.

When he reached a depth of 39 meters, a Galápagos shark measuring approximately 3 meters in length appeared. Dr. Oyoos aimed a harpoon to attach an identification tag, successfully hitting the lower part of the dorsal fin.

The incident occurred afterward. The startled shark moved about 1 meter before suddenly lunging at Dr. Oyoos with its mouth wide open.

Dr. Oyoos described the moment: "The shark turned toward me at a very high speed. Its mouth was wide open. My entire head went into the shark in less than a second."

The shark bit his head, and he heard a cracking sound from his skull. Fortunately, the shark released him immediately. "It let go as soon as it bit my skull. Then it swam away with its mouth still open," he said.

The shark also shattered his diving mask, filling it with blood and water. Additionally, the air hose was damaged by the shark's teeth. "I couldn't see, but I vaguely saw the shark's shadow moving away," he recalled. "If the shark had wanted to, it could have killed me."

Despite bleeding and struggling to breathe, he slowly ascended to the surface. He was then pulled onto the boat by colleagues and transported to Cocos Island for emergency medical treatment.

Reflecting on the incident, Dr. Oyoos said, "I tried to breathe, but it was useless. Honestly, it felt like slow motion. On one hand, I was calm. I was thinking about how to act."

He was transferred to a hospital in San José, the capital of Costa Rica, and is currently awaiting surgery for his jaw. He received sutures for wounds caused by 27 shark teeth that pierced his flesh.

Dr. Oyoos stated this was the first time in 30 years of his work that he was bitten by a shark. Despite his severe injuries, he defended the shark, saying it was not at fault.

"The shark didn't see me and was startled by the tagging. It was a defensive reaction," he explained. "The shark was scared. It's not the shark's fault."