Scientists are sounding the alarm as social media creators increasingly risk injury to capture close-up footage of apex predators. Recent incidents involving influencers in Fiji, the Maldives, and Brazil highlight a growing trend of dangerous human-shark interactions driven by the pursuit of viral content.
From Henry Gibbs' Fiji surgey to Caribbean bull shark bites
The physical consequences of chasing social media engagement have been severe for several high-profile creators. New Zealander Henry Gibbs, a fishing influencer, required four surgeries and a skin graft to save his right leg after being attacked by a reef shark while spearfishing in Fiji on July 18. Similarly, local authorities in the Caribbean reported that a tourist lost both hands in February 2025 while attempting to photograph a bull shark from shallow water.
These incidents are not isolated to a single region or species.. In the Maldives, a 26-year-old Chinese content creator was bitten by a nurse shark in December 2025, and a snorkeler in Israel was killed in April 2025 while reportedly using a selfie stick to capture a photograph.
A three-year rise in attacks on people filming sharks
While the overall risk of a shark bite remains statistically low—with the International Shark Attack File noting that attacks have remained stable at approximately 70 bites per year over the last three decades—the nature of these encounters is shifting. According to the International Shark Attack File, there has been a noticeable increase over the last three years in sharks attacking individuals who are actively filming them.
This trend appears linked to the rise of 'swim with wildlife' expeditions,where researchers found that photographers and influencers are the most likely group to ignore established safety protocols. this behavior creates a dangerous feedback loop where the desre for digital engagement overrides the biological reality of interacting with wild animals.
The glucocorticoid spike caused by touching sharks
Beyond the immediate risk of physial trauma, scientists warn that close-contact content causes significant physiological harm to the animals. Research indicates that approaching or touching sharks triggers high levels of glucocorticoids, which are stress hormones. As shark scientist Kristian Parton has noted, excessive hormone production can lead to weakened immune systems, increased mortality rates, and even aborted offspring in shark populations.
Parton compares the danger of these interactions to walking into the Serengeti and attempting to touch a lion's face. While some influencers, such as 38-year-old Ocean Ramsey, claim their proximity to Great Whites is purely educational, experts argue that these interactions cause unnecessary stress to apex predators that require undisturbed habitats to survive.
Who is responsible for the feeding in Brazil?
The recent attack on Brazilian lawyer Tayane Dalazen has raised specific questions about the ethics of shark tourism. Ms. Dalazen, who suffered thigh lacerations from a nurse shark in April, claimed that the sharks were being intentionally fed to encourage interaction with tourists. This remains an unverified claim, and it is currently unknown if local tour operators were directly involved in the feeding behavior she described.
Furthermore, the debate continues over whether content creators like Ocean Ramsey, who runs 'Dive with Ocean' tours in Hawaii, are helping or hurting conservation efforts. While Ramsey insists her work is about protection and that the public must take accountability for their own actions, the central question remains: does the visual spectacle of touching a shark provide genuine education, or does it simply provide a dangerous blueprint for untrained amateurs to follow?
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