Shark bites Brazilian influencer during diving trip

In April, Tayane Dalazen, a 37-year-old Brazilian lawyer and social media personality from Sao Paulo, was on a shark-diving trip off the Brazilian coast when a shark bit her leg. She felt strong pressure and later described the pain as very strong, leaving her with lacerations to her thigh. Although she said she was not there for social media and did not touch or provoke the shark, she admitted she was too close to the animals. This incident is part of a worrying trend: at least three influencers have been bitten by sharks in less than a year, and researchers at the International Shark Attack File have noted a marked increase in the past three years of people being bitten while trying to film sharks. A recent study of swim-with-wildlife expeditions found that influencers and photographers were the most likely to ignore safety instructions. In February last year, a tourist in the Caribbean had both hands bitten off while trying to photograph a bull shark from the shallows. Scientists are concerned about the rise in social media videos showing people swimming too close to sharks, touching or even riding them. For example, a fishing influencer almost lost his leg in July after being attacked by a reef shark while spearfishing. Some influencers, like one who posts footage of touching sharks and holding their dorsal fins, deny that such close contact causes harm, claiming they observe from a distance and the sharks choose to interact. However, marine biologists argue that approaching sharks in nursery habitats, breeding grounds, or feeding areas deprives them of essential areas for survival, and that such behavior does not aid conservation. Eric Clua, a marine biologist in Paris, says the number of incidents caused by people getting too close to sharks is increasing as people consider sharks less dangerous than before.