A video showing the moment a shark attacks and bites a woman on the leg while she was snorkeling in Brazil has gone viral online.
The incident involved a 36-year-old Brazilian woman who, at the time of the attack, was underwater with a group of divers during a guided reef tour in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago.
As seen in the footage, the shark approaches the woman slowly, without initially displaying aggressive behavior. Suddenly, as it comes within inches of her, the woman flips upside down in the water, and at that moment the shark makes a lightning-fast move, grabbing her by the thigh and biting her.
Panic ensues underwater, with the video showing only an inverted view and clouds of bubbles.
“I knew it had bitten me. I felt it jerk me by the leg. One of the divers had to hit it to make it let go,” the victim said, describing the incident. She added that she was with two friends and accompanied by a dive guide at the time of the attack.
A Flood of Comments on Social Media
After emerging from the water, she was assisted by the guide and by fishermen on nearby boats before receiving first aid from a friend who is a dermatologist and cleaned the wound.
The 36-year-old was later taken to hospital, where she received treatment and was subsequently discharged.
Photos shared afterward show the injury, with the woman saying it was not particularly deep.
She later posted the photos on her personal social media accounts, prompting a flood of comments from users. One commenter even asked how deep the wound was, judging by the images.
Asked whether the injury would leave a scar, she replied yes, but emphasized that she feels proud to surf with such a mark on her leg.
The species of shark involved in the attack, a nurse shark, is not considered particularly aggressive.
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