In April 2025, a fatal shark attack occurred off the coast of Hadera in Israel, claiming the life of a 40-year-old tourist. The man was snorkeling to observe sharks when he was attacked by several animals. Eyewitnesses filmed the incident: the vacationer cried for help before the water’s surface turned red and several shark fins appeared. The following day, only a few human remains were found in the sea, allowing forensic identification.
Unusual culprits: bull shark-like relatives
Particularly remarkable: The animals involved were most likely dusky sharks (Carcharhinus obscurus), also known as “dusky sharks.” This species is not considered dangerous to humans and had never before been implicated in a single fatality worldwide. Analysis of video footage confirmed the presence of at least two of these sharks, which were involved in a collective attack.
❗️🦈🇮🇱 – On April 21, 2025, a shark attack off Olga Beach, Hadera, Israel, left an Israeli diver presumed dead.
The diver, spearfishing near the Hadera River estuary, was attacked after attracting a shark with blood from his catch, as seen in eyewitness footage showing… pic.twitter.com/KPQkkgJgX9
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) April 21, 2025
How the escalation happened
Scientists reconstruct the sequence in two phases. First, a single shark may have been lured by the electromagnetic signal of the snorkeler’s camera into a so-called reflex or “clumsiness bite.” This initial snap was probably not intended as prey capture but resulted in an injury with blood loss. The smell of blood and the sounds of the attack then triggered a feeding frenzy: additional sharks rushed at the victim and inflicted fatal predatory bites.
The behavior is known as a “feeding frenzy” – a state of frenzy that occurs when several predators compete simultaneously for a perceived food source. In such situations, the animals’ natural shyness is suppressed, so that humans can also become targets, even though they are not normally considered prey.
Background: human influences
For several years, dozens of sharks have regularly gathered in Hadera, attracted by warm cooling water and discharges from industrial plants. At the same time, an unregulated shark tourism industry has developed there. Frequent feeding by visitors has led to a “begging behavior” in the animals – a pattern that brings them unnaturally close to humans and reduces their caution.
Experts warn: such artificial interventions change the animals’ behavior and increase the risk of dangerous incidents. They call for a complete ban on shark feeding as well as strict regulations for spearfishing and tourism in the region. Killing the sharks, however, is not seen as a solution, since the problem is primarily human-made.
Conclusion
The Hadera case is an extremely rare exception and differs significantly from typical shark attacks by species such as great whites, tiger sharks, or bull sharks. However, it shows how strongly human activities can influence the behavior of marine animals – and that responsible tourism and conservation measures are necessary to protect both people and sharks.
