TOBARI BAY, Mexico – A 19-foot great white shark killed a diver in Mexico earlier this month while he was diving for mollusks, according to a report from Tracking Sharks.
Manuel Lopez was scuba diving on Jan. 5 in Tobari Bay, located in the Gulf of California, when he was attacked.
“He was diving when the animal attacked him, impressively ripping off his head and biting both shoulders,” Jose Bernal, speaking for the fisherman, told Tracking Sharks.
According to Tracking Sharks, the website provides information on global shark attacks and shares information on why shark attacks occur in order to help prevent negative shark encounters.
The website states that Lopez was collecting ax tripe, a mollusk similar to a scallop, which is found at depths of 36-59 feet.
The mollusks are pulled from the ocean floor and can create sounds that could attract sharks.
Bernal told Tracking Sharks that local divers had been warned about the presence of sharks in the area and that most divers hadn’t gone out for several days.
The report states that there is a shortage of seafood in the area creating a high demand and that Lopez needed the money.
“Thousands of anglers have been staying onshore due to the presence of large white sharks,” Tracking Sharks reported. “A stipend of 7,200 pesos per year is available to fishermen to supplement their incomes. However, the amount is not livable when there is no income coming in from the sea.”
That stipend comes out to just over $380 at the current exchange rate.