REMOTE WATERS

Marine Biologist Mauled by Shark With ‘Enormous Bite Force’

Dr. Mauricio Hoyos was bitten by a huge shark nearly 350 miles away from the coastline.

A marine biologist leading a scientific expedition to a remote island in Costa Rica was rushed to the hospital after being attacked by a giant shark. Dr. Mauricio Hoyos, 48, was bitten on the head while studying marine life in the Cocos Islands, a remote archipelago located approximately 340 miles off the coast of Costa Rica, known to harbor up to 14 different species of sharks. “He was tagging species for monitoring, and when he tagged one of the island’s shark species, the shark turned,” a physician with the Costa Rican Fire Department explained. “It was about 4 meters long (13 feet) with an enormous bite force—it turned and bit him on the head.” Hoyos, from Mexico, was transported back to the mainland, a gruelling 36-hour journey. He suffered severe injuries to the face, arm, and torso. “Incidents like this are extremely rare,” Alex Antoniou, executive director of research group Fins Attached, said on social media. “Dr. Hoyos is an extraordinary scientist who has dedicated his career to shark conservation, and we are deeply grateful for the support of the Cocos Island community in this very difficult time.”