Khaberni - A recreational diving trip turned into a shocking experience for a foreign tourist, after she was attacked by a shark while swimming near the coast of Brazil, in an incident captured on video and widely spread across social media platforms.
The recorded footage shows the tourist, Taiyani Dalazin (36 years old), while diving with friends in a calm atmosphere in the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Pernambuco state, surrounded by colorful fish and marine creatures, with no signs of impending danger, according to the British newspaper "The Sun".
During the swim, Dalazin was engrossed in watching several sharks swimming around her, a common scene in the area often frequented by tourists to get close to marine life. However, the peaceful atmosphere quickly turned into chaos when a nurse shark suddenly attacked and clamped its jaws on her leg.
Unlike sharks known for their cutting bites, the nurse shark relies on a suction and gripping technique, using its strong mouth and small teeth to secure its prey. As the footage showed, the shark tried to pull the tourist downward, while she struggled to free herself.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Dalazin managed to escape the shark's grasp after a few moments and suffered only minor injuries. She later described the event, saying, "At that moment I realized I was being attacked, I had to wait because the shark was holding onto me, and it relied more on suction than biting because it was a nurse shark."
The tourist was accompanied by two friends and a tour guide at the time of the incident, and she confirmed that the guide acted quickly to resolve the situation. She added, "I felt it shaking me from my leg, and I didn't dare to put my hand there because I was afraid it would devour it."
She explained that the guide had to hit the shark until it let her go, and after she got out of the water, she received immediate assistance from the guide and several local fishermen. Her friend, a dermatologist named Carolaine Pereira, provided first aid and cleaned the puncture wounds to prevent infection.
Videos and photos posted online later showed several small holes in her leg, though they posed no threat to her life. Dalazin was taken to the hospital for treatment, before eventually leaving it later and reassuring her followers on social media, jokingly stating, "It seems the shark was missing one of its teeth."
The incident occurred in front of a fishermen's association, an area known as a tourist attraction for close encounters with sharks. Environmental activists had previously warned that irregular feeding of marine animals could increase risks to both humans and wildlife alike.
Following the incident, the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation announced an investigation into the matter, noting that feeding wild animals is prohibited within protected natural areas, and that any irresponsible interaction with marine creatures can lead to serious incidents.
