An Unprovoked Attack by a Blue Shark on a Spear Fisherman in Terceira Island, Azores
Published on 12. June 2014
An Unprovoked Attack by a Blue Shark Prionace glauca (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhinidae) on a Spear Fisherman in Terceira Island, Azores, Northeast Atlantic
João Pedro Barreiros, Otto B.F. Gadig, Vidal Haddad Jr.
ABSTRACT:
The blue shark, Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758) (Figure 1A), is a large predatory oceanic-epipelagic species with worldwide distribution that is usually harmless to humans. However, its inquisitive behavior when facing divers in open waters and a moderately powerful set of jaws and teeth can inflict severe injuries (Figure 1B), reasons for this shark to be regarded with caution in some shark-human interaction scenarios. There are at least 13 recorded unprovoked attacks imputed to this species to date (eg, http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/statistics/species3.htm).
Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, September 2014, Volume 25, Issue 3, Pages 371–372
Note: Please see the related Comment and Reply : Shark Attacks and Shark Diving
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