Shark scientists are expressing growing concern over an increase in social media videos featuring people swimming too close to, touching, or even riding sharks. At least three influencers have reported being bitten by sharks in less than a year while attempting to capture footage.
"I'm seeing these videos every single week now and it's way more than it ever used to be," said shark scientist Kristian Parton, who also hosts the 'Shark Bytes' YouTube channel. "We're going to see people ending up in really serious incidents with sharks."
In July, a fishing influencer sustained severe injuries after a reef shark attacked him while spearfishing. In December, a content creator was bitten in the Maldives, with both incidents captured on camera. Researchers at the International Shark Attack File, which monitors human-shark interactions globally, have also noted a significant rise in bites over the past three years associated with people attempting to film sharks. A study of "swim with wildlife" expeditions indicated that influencers and photographers were the most likely to disregard safety protocols.
Past incidents include a tourist in the Caribbean who lost both hands to a bull shark in February of the previous year while trying to photograph it from shallow waters. Two months later, a snorkeler in Israel carrying a "selfie stick" was reportedly killed by sharks, allegedly while attempting to get photographs.
Despite these incidents, the overall risk of a shark bite remains very low. The number of unprovoked shark attacks globally has remained relatively stable for the last three decades, averaging around 70 bites per year.
Risks to Sharks and Humans
Some influencers have been documented touching tiger sharks and even great whites, while others, like Tayane Dalazen, have been bitten by nurse sharks, a species generally considered more docile. "We're talking about a true apex predator, a very large wild animal," Parton emphasized. "You wouldn't walk into the Serengeti and try and put your hand on the face of a lion."
Sharks may deliver defensive or "exploratory" bites when encountering unwelcome humans in their territory. Beyond the risk to human safety, these interactions can also cause significant stress to the animals. Scientific studies have shown that approaching or touching sharks elevates their glucocorticoid hormone levels, which can lead to a weakened immune system, increased mortality, and reproductive issues.
"If you're approaching the shark and stressing it out, whether it be in a nursery habitat, a breeding ground, or a feeding area, you're depriving that shark of an area that's important to it to survive," Parton explained. "And that's definitely a problem."
Ocean Ramsey, a prominent shark content creator, gained significant attention in 2019 for images of her swimming with a large great white shark.