Carmen Cervello: Snorkeler attacked by 220lb shark dives back into water despite having 6-inch-wide bite mark
OMADHOO, MALDIVES: A distressing incident occurred in the Maldives, as a 220-pound shark attacked a snorkeler and inflicted a gruesome six-inch wound on her side. The victim, Carmen Canovas Cervello, 30, was snorkeling with a friend in Vaavu Atoll, a popular diving spot in the island nation when the eight-foot-long nurse shark lunged at her and bit her side.
The attack was captured in dramatic footage obtained by Daily Mail that shows the shark circling around the tourist before suddenly charging at her. The footage showed a shark asserting its dominance over the diver by biting down on Cervello's shoulder and upper back. Despite the brief duration of the attack, the determined shark left a notable mark of approximately six inches in diameter on the diver's body. The attack was captured by her friend and fellow diver, Ibrahim Shafeeg, 37, who was recording the sharks in his vicinity with his GoPro camera.
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Following the attack by the shark, both Shafeeg and Cervello quickly exited the water to inspect the damage inflicted on her shoulder and back, as they tended to the wound and assessed its severity. The adventurous duo felt that the injury was a warning from the sharks due to their proximity and believed that the bite was only a minor injury that could have been much worse.
'We cleaned the wound and continued snorkeling'
Despite the shark attack, the fearless duo decided to resume their diving experience in the shark-infested waters within seconds. Cervello did not feel the need to seek medical attention or treatment, so they continued snorkeling and diving with the sharks for several days, allowing the bite to heal on its own.
"We were in the shark bay at Vaavu Atoll diving with nurse sharks," Shafeeg said, as per Daily Mail. "We decided to do a free dive trip to shark bay and snorkel inside a group of sharks there. There were around ten nurse sharks, from 198-pounds to 220-pounds and over three metres wide. After the shark bite, we thought nothing major about it as it was only a minor injury so we cleaned the wound and continued snorkelling at the same spot again."
Nurse sharks are commonly seen in the Maldives
Nurse sharks are a common sight in the crystal-clear waters of the Vaavu Atoll region of the Maldives, where tourists flock to explore the vibrant underwater ecosystem. These gentle creatures are known for their docile nature and are often found resting on the sandy sea floor during the day, making them a popular attraction for divers and snorkelers.
Despite their benign reputation, nurse sharks are still wild animals and can become aggressive if they feel threatened or provoked. While nurse shark attacks on humans are rare, incidents like the one captured on camera by Shafeeg and Cervello serve as a reminder of the importance of respecting these creatures and giving them their space in their natural habitat.