Fishermen on Mexico’s western coast knew that the waters where they worked were infested with sharks, and at the expense of their livelihood, they had been avoiding the waters for several days. One diver decided to take his chances.
In the first deadly shark attack of 2023, fisherman Manual Lopez, 50, was decapitated by a great white shark in the presence of several horrified witnesses, off the coast of Mexico. He was scuba diving, like it was his custom to do, for ax tripe, which is a type of mollusk, near the San Jose Beach in Tobari Bay, on Mexico’s western coast, when he was attacked by a 19-foot-long shark.
The fisherman had his head and shoulders ripped off his body and died instantly.
Fisherman Jose Bernal, witnessed the tragic incident and told local news media that Lopez was diving into the sea when the shark suddenly attacked him.
According to Bernal, the fisherman was diving without an oxygen tank even though mollusks typically swim in depths of between 36 to 59 feet.
In spite of the warnings about the shark sightings, Lopez had decided to make the trip to the bottom of the ocean.
Bernal said that because most of the anglers weren’t fishing, there was a shortage of seafood, and demand was high, which prompted Lopez to make a decision that would be his last.
In February 2022, fisherman, Victor Estrella, 56, was attacked by a shark while fishing for scallops in Yavaros, Sonora in Mexico.
Great white sharks grow to about 20 feet long and have over 200 sharp serrated teeth. They can swim at speeds of up to 35 mph. They normally prey on seals, dolphins, and sea lions but often mistake humans for seals when they wear wetsuits.
Most of the attacks in the Gulf of California occur in December and January when great white sharks are most numerous.