A biologist has shown off the gruesome scars on his face after he was savaged by a shark – and even joked that he now has “gills too”.
Marine expert Mauricio Hoyos was tagging a 13ft Galapagos shark when the predator suddenly turned and bit him in the face.
The attack left the biologist with deep facial wounds that required multiple operations – and therapy to help him process the trauma.
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He posted a picture of his injury online with the caption: “Now I have gills too!”
Mauricio, from Mexico, said: “The animal was simply defending itself.
“When I attached the device, which is fired at the base of the fin with a harpoon, it obviously caused momentary discomfort, because a steel barb with the transmitter attached was embedded in it.
“She was swimming calmly when I attached the tag, but I approached from behind to prevent her from going in the opposite direction when she felt the prick.
“I caught her off guard; she got scared, reacted, and all she did was bite.
“It’s like dogs, when one wants to let another know that it doesn’t want it near them, it shows its teeth and bites.
“She could easily have mauled my neck, but she didn’t.
“She simply bit me, released, and swam away.”
The seasoned diver, who’s spent over 30 years working with sharks, said the entire ordeal lasted just a second – and that staying calm saved his life.
He said: “By staying calm, my body didn’t react adversely.
“When you’re stressed or worried, your blood chemistry changes, but by staying calm, I feel that helped a lot with my recovery.”
He managed to swim several metres back to his boat before it took 36 hours to reach port in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Mauricio, from Mexico, said: “They immediately took my vital signs, started talking to me, and explained the situation.
“The doctor also told me that they had contacted my family.
“I felt the ambulance travelling incredibly fast; I know it normally takes over an hour to get there, and it was Monday during rush hour.”
Now recovering, Mauricio says he’s also seeing a psychiatrist to help him process the near-death experience, as reported by Need To Know.
He said: “I’ve been sorting things out little by little, but I know I haven’t quite absorbed it yet.
“I know I’m very lucky, but I’m also going to therapy because I need to talk about it.
“I don’t want it to stay bottled up inside and affect me later.
“It was a dangerous situation, and I feel I need to talk to a professional therapist to get through it in the best way possible because I want to go back to work.”
Despite his injuries, the fearless scientist says he’s eager to return to Cocos Island, Costa Rica, where the attack took place.
Mauricio added: “She was just defending herself.
“I can’t wait to get back out there.”
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