A Brazilian influencer was bitten by a 7ft nurse shark during a diving trip off the coast of Brazil, an incident that has prompted experts to warn about the rise of dangerous viral stunts with wild animals.
Tayane Dalazen, 37, a lawyer and social media personality from São Paulo, was on a shark-diving excursion when the shark clamped onto her thigh and dragged her underwater. She suffered painful gashes on her leg. Organisers were allegedly feeding the sharks to attract them closer to tourists at the time.
Influencer describes terrifying ordeal
Dalazen told the BBC: "I knew something was different because the sharks were on the surface. There were a lot of them. When the shark bit me, the pain was very strong. I stayed calm because I knew I couldn't fight the animal."
She posted a clip of the incident online, which quickly amassed tens of millions of views. Although she insisted she "wasn't there for social media" and did not intentionally provoke the predator, she admitted she got too close.
Global trend of reckless stunts
The bite comes amid a trend of influencers risking their lives for the "ultimate selfie." In July, a fishing content creator nearly lost his leg to a reef shark while spearfishing, and a Chinese influencer was bitten in the Maldives in December. In the Caribbean, a tourist had both hands bitten off while photographing a bull shark in shallow water.
Marine experts warn that clout-chasers are playing a deadly game. Shark scientist Kristian Parton, host of the Shark Bytes YouTube channel, said: "I'm seeing these videos every single week now and it's way more than it ever used to be. We're going to see people ending up in really serious incidents with sharks." He added: "We're talking about a true apex predator, a very large wild animal. You wouldn't walk into the Serengeti and try and put your hand on the face of a lion."
Scientists slam influencers
Some ocean influencers defend touching sharks for "educational" purposes. Shark diver Ocean Ramsey, 38, claimed her content inspires conservation, saying: "I observe their behaviour and they choose to interact with me. They always make the first approach. You've got to give the general public some accountability."
However, scientists have criticised such actions, warning that invading a shark's personal space causes extreme stress and risks defensive bites. Dr Jack Cooper said: "I really cannot explain how going up to a shark and touching it or riding it is doing anything to aid conservation. All you're doing is showing a shark getting harassed by a human." Marine biologist Eric Clua added: "The message transmitted by influencers is 'Look! Touch the shark, nothing will happen to you.'"
With shark-diving tours booming in holiday hotspots like the Maldives, experts warn that seeking social media fame could come at a gruesome price.
