Provoked Non-Fatal Attacks to Divers by Sandbar Shark
Provoked Non-Fatal Attacks to Divers by Sandbar Shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae), off Taşucu Coast (Ne Mediterranean Sea, Turkey)
Ergüden D., Ayas D., Kabasakal H.
ABSTRACT:
On 26 August 2019, two commercial divers, who were diving for the routine check and cleaning of the separate aquaculture net cages, were attacked by several sandbar sharks, Carcharhinus plumbeus. Seven to 8 specimens of sharks attacked the divers, while they were cleaning the entangled dead farmed fishes from outside of the cages. Although, the sea bottom depth, where the aquaculture cages are anchored, is from 47 to 68 m, the incidents happened in midwater around 20 m deep. The present incidents were apparently provoked by the presence of excess amount of wounded and/or dead farmed fish, which caused a certain feeding frenzy of a shark species, normally considered not to be particularly dangerous.
ANNALES Ser. hist. nat., 30, 2020, 1. DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2020.01