Suspected predatory bites on a snorkeler by an oceanic whitetip shark Carcharhinus longimanus off Moorea island (French Polynesia). Issue 6 (21st August 2021)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Suspected predatory bites on a snorkeler by an oceanic whitetip shark Carcharhinus longimanus off Moorea island (French Polynesia). Issue 6 (21st August 2021)
- Main Title:
- Suspected predatory bites on a snorkeler by an oceanic whitetip shark Carcharhinus longimanus off Moorea island (French Polynesia)
- Authors:
- Clua, Eric E. G.
Demarchi, Simon
Meyer, Carl G. - Abstract:
- Abstract: Understanding why sharks bite humans is essential for developing strategies to prevent these incidents. Here, we use bite wound characteristics and eye witness descriptions of shark behavior to determine the likely motivation for several bites perpetrated by an oceanic whitetip (OWT) shark Carcharhinus longimanus on an adult female snorkeler off Moorea island (French Polynesia) in October 2019. The victim was snorkeling with others in pelagic waters as part of an organized whale‐watching tour when the shark—without any warning behavior—bit her at least three times resulting in severe injuries with substantial loss of soft tissue from the chest and both forearms. The victim survived these injuries thanks to rapid and effective first aid provided by her companions. The sudden, unprovoked and repeated bites with substantial tissue removal are consistent with predatory behavior although the dominance hypothesis cannot be fully ruled out. This would be the first case of a predatory shark bite ever documented in French Polynesia in over 70 years of data collection. Given the routine association of OWT sharks with cetaceans, in‐water whale watching activities should adopt appropriate risk management strategies in regions hosting this species of shark.
- Is Part Of:
- Journal of forensic sciences. Volume 66:Issue 6(2021)
- Journal:
- Journal of forensic sciences
- Issue:
- Volume 66:Issue 6(2021)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 66, Issue 6 (2021)
- Year:
- 2021
- Volume:
- 66
- Issue:
- 6
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2021-0066-0006-0000
- Page Start:
- 2493
- Page End:
- 2498
- Publication Date:
- 2021-08-21
- Subjects:
- agonistic behavior -- attack -- dangerous marine wildlife -- forensic anthropology and forensic odontology
Medical jurisprudence -- Periodicals
Forensic sciences -- Periodicals
Forensic Medicine -- Periodicals
Gerechtelijke geneeskunde
Gerechtelijke chemie
Gerechtelijke psychiatrie
363.2505 - Journal URLs:
- http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/1754597.html ↗
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1556-4029 ↗
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/jfo ↗
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1111/1556-4029.14865 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0022-1198
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 4984.600000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 20449.xml