Costa Rica โBiologist,โ Weeks Afterโ Shark Attack, โPlans Return Dive to Same Location
COCOS ISLAND, COSTA RICA – Mauricioโ Hoyos, a โคmarineโข biologist studying shark behavior off the coast โof โคCosta Rica, intends to dive again at Roca Sucia, the site ofโฃ a โคrecent shark attack that โขseverely injured him. Hoyos, who was attacked on Septemberโ 27th while leading a research mission to โacousticallyโ tag โsharks, expressed no fear or resentmentโฃ towards the animal and even hopes to encounterโ it again during a planned tripโฃ in January.
Hoyos was approximatelyโข 40 meters deep with his team whenโ the attack occurred. They had been alerted to the presence of a large โขshark by tourists โand Hoyos decided โtoโ attempt to tag the specimen. The shark, a โfemale estimated to be between 3 and 3.5 meters โคlong, unexpectedly turned andโค attacked, clamping its jaws onto Hoyos’ head.
“she โคturned around and โขstared at me,” Hoyosโค recounted โฃto the โคBBC.”I โlowered my head, and I feltโ his lowerโค jaw sink into my โcheek and โhis upper jaw into my skull.I was โคthere, Iโ guess, for a second, no more, insideโ his โjaw, โคand then โฃhe justโ opened it again.”
Despite sustaining deep wounds โand having his oxygen tubeโ crushed, Hoyos was able to ascend to the โsurface and receive medical attention. Remarkably, his wounds did not become infected, โa fact doctors found “incredible.”
Hoyos, who has studied โฃsharks for over three decades, viewsโข the attack as a normal animal response to a perceived โฃthreat. He plans to return to Cocos Island from โขJanuary 20th to โ27th, specifically to dive โatโ Roca Sucia, not seeking retribution, but โขto further his understanding โฃof shark behavior.”I’m goingโ to dive there,” he stated. “I feel an even greater โrespectโค for sharks.”
