Kategorie: News
DAN Alert Asked the Experts
Reports of shark attacks are often rife with myths and misconceptions. DAN Alert Diver magazine asked two behavioral scientists what the data reveals and what we can learn from it.
Report by Claudio Di Manao / DAN Alert Diver
Alarming reports of a supposed increase in shark attacks are circulating in the news media and on social media. From the Red Sea in Egypt to Australia and the U.S., shark attacks appear to be on the rise. Eric Clua and Andreas Dellios, two renowned researchers in the field of shark behavior and valued DAN members, have shared their insights and recommendations with us.
All the experts interviewed agree on one point: there is a lack of a comprehensive and up-to-date database. The best tools currently available are the ISAF (International Shark Attack File) and the GSAF (Global Shark Attack File), maintained by the Florida Museum and the Princeton-based Research Institute, respectively.
According to ISAF and GSAF, the number of fatal shark attacks in 2025 doubled compared to historical data. From an average of six to seven per year, the number of fatal shark attacks rose to twelve in 2025. As before, the U.S. and Australia top the statistics. Both countries share an enviable commonality: tens of thousands of kilometers of coastline, much of which is suitable for swimming, surfing, diving, kayaking, and virtually every other conceivable form of water sport.
The Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea also have long coastlines. Unlike the Red Sea, however, shark attacks are virtually unheard of in the Mediterranean—despite millions of people spending time in the water there each year. There is a reason for this discrepancy: shark populations in the Mediterranean have declined dramatically.
Reality or Perception?
Eric Clua and Andreas Dellios, both DAN members, agreed to explain the topic to Alert Diver readers. Eric is a veterinarian who later became a marine ecologist and eco-anthropologist. He has extensive experience in marine conservation and marine ecology. His academic career includes, among other things, a position as director at the renowned EPHE (École Pratique des Hautes Études). He is also a prominent researcher in the field of shark behavior.
Andreas Dellios is the director of the renowned SharkSchool, based in Eleuthera, Bahamas. Andreas (Andy) is a researcher, dive guide, and filmmaker. His logbook documents an enormous number of encounters and interactions with sharks. Together with the late Dr. Erich Ritter—the founder of SharkSchool and a true pioneer in this field—Andy has also published scientific papers.
Eric Clua
“Shark attacks may have increased due to the growing number of people using the ocean in certain regions worldwide. New sports that facilitate encounters between humans and sharks—such as kitesurfing, wing foiling, or jet skiing—have emerged. As far as I know, there are no climate-related factors. And yes, the main problem is public perception, which is shaped by social media.”
Andy Dellios shares Eric’s assessment regarding the response on social media:
“In my opinion, the supposed increase in shark attacks is part of a distorted perception. Ever since social media has existed, everything has been posted multiple times or spread throughout the information space.”
Are We Shark Bait?
As divers, we’re used to pointing out “crazy” and unprofessional shark-feeding methods, spearfishing, a lack of knowledge about shark behavior, and improper handling of sharks as potential triggers for shark attacks. We view sharks as scavengers that would only feed on us after we’re dead.
In 2024, the HEPCA (Hurghada Environment Protection and Conservation Association) reported a case of “unusual shark behavior.” HEPCA’s investigation into the death of a snorkeler at the hands of a tiger shark at Dream Beach in Hurghada in 2023 revived old notions: The shark had killed the snorkeler to feed on him.
Following several shark attacks, two of which were fatal, a statement from HEPCA cited “human misconduct such as overfishing, the disposal of waste at sea, the excessive use of natural resources, and the lack of a sustainable economy” as possible causes.
Let’s be clear about one thing: These practices, including overfishing, do not directly cause sharks to switch to hunting humans. Rather, certain human activities disrupt the sharks’ habitat. As a result, sharks may leave their usual hunting grounds to find food elsewhere.
Andy Dellios largely agrees:
“Shark incidents are either provoked by us or caused by third parties. Take, for example, swimming in an area where fishing is taking place upstream: this creates several potential triggers for bites—curiosity, stress, competition, or provocation—whether intentional or unintentional.
At SharkSchool, we rule out hunger as a motivator. When an incident occurs, a combination of various factors—such as overfishing, noise, hectic activity, fishing/spearfishing, etc.—plays a fundamental role. Analyzing incidents helps us avoid such mistakes. This protects both us humans and the sharks.”
Eric Clua points to the increasing number of people in the water:
“While the decimation of marine fauna due to overfishing is a very indirect cause, the increasing number of people in the water has a direct impact. Feeding sharks is responsible for some instinctive and clumsy bites. These are usually not fatal. Fatal attacks are a different matter; to prevent them, we must understand them.”
Unusual Behavior or a Bad Temperament?
In 2010 and 2011, Sharm el-Sheikh made headlines worldwide. A female oceanic whitetip shark killed or mauled several unfortunate tourists right in front of their hotels. The animal had a deformity in its caudal fin.
In response, the South Sinai Governorate launched a shark trapping and killing campaign, which claimed the lives of a mako and numerous other sharks. The female oceanic whitetip shark mentioned above is believed to still be at large.
Many years later, in 2023, a tiger shark killed a human victim near Hurghada. This shark, too, had a physical deformity—in this case, on its dorsal fin. HEPCA and many marine researchers suspect that sharks with physical impairments may begin to hunt in shallower waters or outside the ranges of their usual prey.
Eric Clua has further investigated this question and published a series of studies. “HEPCA supports my hypothesis of ‘problem sharks,’ which makes sense.”
Eric refers to a 2014 study titled “Shark Personalities? Reproducibility of Social Network Traits in a Widespread Predator.” In this paper, David M. P. Jacoby et al. conclude that certain sharks can become bolder and may tend to attack humans or even feed on them. Based on these findings, Eric Clua and Dennis Reid argue in a 2018 publication that certain sharks should be subjected to individual profiling. A brief explanation can be found on Eric Clua’s website:
“In criminology, profiling means creating a character profile of the person responsible for a murder in order to identify perpetrators based on that profile. This approach can also be applied to sharks, particularly in the context of fatal bites on humans. The police would not spend time profiling a car thief; they would focus on serious cases involving one or more crimes. Similarly, it is not justified to profile a shark that has inflicted a superficial bite on a water sports enthusiast.”
Eric Clua supports the idea of specifically and selectively removing conspicuous or problematic sharks. He argues that this is a better alternative to current methods of reducing risk—which involve indiscriminately catching and killing sharks, as is practiced, for example, in Réunion or New Caledonia, French overseas territories.
Debunking Myths and Misconceptions
Apex predators are not pets. On social media, animals like sharks and lions are all too often portrayed as friendly toward humans. On the other hand, sharks are nowhere near as dangerous to humans as other predators.
Scientists and experts agree: The statistics on incidents clearly show that the probability of being bitten by a shark is extremely low.
Divers used to believe that sharks attack surfers because they mistake a surfer for a seal or a sea lion. Of course, that could happen. However, in “The ‘Mistaken Identity Hypothesis’ for Shark Bites on Humans Is an Anthropomorphic Fallacy,” Eric Clua, together with Carl Meyer, debunks this widespread notion as a mere assumption without a solid scientific basis.
“Yes, they are wild predators and should be respected as such. They may not be as dangerous as originally thought, but you have to remain cautious. I am strictly against influencers who portray sharks as cute little puppies.” – Eric Clua
More bad news: Many divers are familiar with the typical “warning dance” of sharks. In some cases, however, sharks appear to attack without warning.
In a paper on frontiers.org, Eric Clua writes that there is currently no scientific consensus on what motivates sharks to bite humans. Some authors emphasize environmental factors, while others (such as Clua himself) point to personality differences among the sharks themselves.
In the same study, Clua shows that certain types of shark bites can be linked to human activities such as spearfishing or removing prey from fish traps. These activities can trigger defensive behavior in sharks. Under certain conditions, sharks may perceive divers—and spearfishers in particular—as threats or rivals.
Fishing and spearfishing are considered the most important factors that can prompt a shark to bite.
Andy Dellios explains how caught fish release stress hormones and bodily fluids into the water. “If a person is in this scent trail, the shark may show interest in them. While it won’t mistake a person for a fish, it may be prompted to investigate the person more closely, which could lead to a test bite. We do not believe in dangerous sharks, only in dangerous situations. As mentioned earlier, these are caused by our own intentional or unintentional misconduct.”
Recognizing and Avoiding Dangerous Situations
There is no scientific consensus on the specific factors that cause sharks to bite humans. Therefore, it is worth taking a closer look at situations in which bites occur. The first of these is unlikely to please divers: The only shark bite classified by the DAN Emergency Department as “likely provoked” involved a diver attempting to free an entangled shark.
Eric Clua is very clear on this point:
“I consider the ISAF and GSAF approach to classifying shark attacks to be wrong. Both focus on so-called ‘unprovoked’ attacks, which is an anthropocentric concept. There is always a reason or motivation for a bite, and it does not necessarily have to be related to human activities. Nevertheless, an untrained person should never attempt to free an entangled shark or remove a hook from its mouth.”
As divers, we love sharks and care about their well-being. Unfortunately, we cannot treat them as if they were pets. After all, even puppies and kittens are sometimes sedated by veterinarians—for such routine procedures as trimming their claws.
Here is a list of human-caused or environmental conditions that we should avoid in areas with active sharks.
For Divers
Murky water
Areas where spearfishing takes place, as well as areas with fish traps
Areas where dead fish or other animal waste are dumped into the water
Irresponsible or unprofessional shark feeding
Threatening sharks or blocking their path
Diving alone
For Non-Divers
All of the above:
+
Making noise
Not wearing fins
All of these conditions have been cited by experts as factors that may contribute to the (still extremely low) probability of a shark attack.
How to Avoid Unpleasant Encounters
Experts and databases agree: Being bitten by a shark is extremely rare. But unfortunately, “extremely rare” does not mean “impossible.”
Andy Dellios has some advice for us. In his experience, the briefing is crucial: “Whether we’re swimming, diving, or snorkeling—we need to know what’s in the water.”
Eric Clua recommends taking a slightly bolder approach: “Stay facing the shark and act confident. If it gets dangerously close, a punch can help.”
Even though Eric’s and Andy’s recommendations differ slightly, it’s important to consider what these recommendations are based on: Scientific consensus develops slowly and requires a great deal of time and effort.
As for Eric’s advice, I’ve seen numerous clips from underwater filmmakers who—diving solo, of course—fended off attacks by tiger sharks and smaller shark species by jabbing the camera housing against the sharks’ noses.
Regardless of whose recommendations you choose to follow, one thing seems pretty clear: doing nothing is the wrong reaction.
Surviving Shark Attacks
While most shark attacks result in just a single bite, sharks sometimes return to their victim. This is what happened in the 2024 incident at Marsa Alam, where a swimmer was fatally attacked by a tiger shark. A friend intervened, striking the shark repeatedly and causing it to flee. Unfortunately, this help came too late for the victim: the swimmer died from blood loss. Although tragic, this story offers some valuable lessons on how to handle shark attacks.
Eric Clua
“If an active dive buddy is present, you can get the shark to stop its attack and flee. Since most deaths from shark bites are due to blood loss, it’s extremely helpful to have a tourniquet on hand. A weight belt can also be used for this purpose, ideally an elastic rubber one.”
Andy Dellios has one more note on rescuing an injured person from the water.
“When pulling a bitten person out of the water, it should be done in one smooth motion. Otherwise, the shark might return to defend its claim to the victim and bite again—multiple times. The only exception is if the victim is in danger of drowning.”
DAN Europe’s Observations
Between 2017 and 2020, DAN Europe’s emergency hotline did not have to deal with a single case of shark-related injuries. Between 2021 and 2024, six calls requesting emergency assistance related to sharks were received—out of a total of 10,376 inquiries. None of these six cases resulted in a fatality. In 2025, there were no such cases.
These figures hardly justify describing the recent increase in shark-related injuries as a crisis.
Divers can continue to sleep soundly.
In-Depth: https://www.researchgate.net/(...)Evidence_of_Individual_Sharks_(...)_Bites_on_People
The Author
Claudio Di Manao is a PADI and IANTD dive instructor and has been a DAN member since 1997. He is the author of various books and novels about diving, including *Shamandura Generation*, an exciting portrait of the diving community in Sharm el Sheikh. He contributes to magazines, radio stations, and newspapers, and speaks and writes about dive safety, marine life, and travel.
DAN Alert Diver
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