A woman’s dream vacation in the Maldives turned into a nightmare when she was unexpectedly bitten by a nurse shark while swimming near a school of fish. The shocking incident was captured on video and has since gone viral on social media, sparking concerns about wildlife interactions and unsustainable tourism practices.
Shocking Moment Caught on Camera
Travel vloggers Chels and Antonio, who were filming content for their Instagram, unknowingly documented the terrifying shark bite in real-time. The footage shows Chels floating in the crystal-clear waters, surrounded by a group of nurse sharks, when suddenly, one shark lunges at her hand and bites before quickly releasing her.
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The video is captioned, “Trust Chels to get bitten by one of the most friendly species of Sharks. To clarify a few things, no she did not just put her hand in the sharks mouth as much as it might look like that. When Nurse sharks are eating they use an incredible amount of suction power to take food in. Unfortunately it mistook Chels’s hand as a piece of Tuna and sucked it in but as you can see quickly let go when it realised she isn’t tuna haha. A Nurse sharks suction actually generate around 43 pounds of pressure per square inch which is pretty crazy.”
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Although nurse sharks are generally considered docile, they use powerful suction to draw in food, and it is believed the shark may have mistaken Chels’ hand for a piece of tuna. The video also shows Chels receiving medical treatment for three wounded fingers at a local clinic.
Social Media Backlash: Experts Call for Ethical Tourism
The viral video has sparked mixed reactions online, with many questioning the ethics of wildlife tourism. Some social media users expressed concern for Chels’ safety, while others criticized the practice of feeding sharks to create ideal photo opportunities.
One user commented, “Guess you should have kept your distance. Hope you enjoyed the entertainment.”
Another said, “This is because people are feeding them to attract them so they can get the perfect Instagram shot !”
A third said, “Just stop going to places where they feed sharks. Nurse sharks are nocturnal creatures and its unnatural for them to eat during day. Its unnatural for it to come so close to surface like that too. Stop enabling unsustainable tourism and educate yourselves.”
Growing Risks of Wildlife Tourism in the Maldives
The Maldives is a hotspot for shark encounters, with numerous tour operators offering tourists the chance to swim with nurse sharks and manta rays. However, conservationists have warned that feeding sharks to attract them closer to humans disrupts their natural behavior and can lead to accidental attacks like the one Chels experienced.
Despite this rare incident, experts emphasize that sharks do not typically attack humans unless provoked or mistaken for prey. However, they urge travelers to exercise caution and engage in ethical wildlife tourism to ensure both human safety and marine conservation.
As Chels recovers from her injuries, the debate on responsible tourism continues, raising critical questions about the impact of human interference on marine ecosystems.
