In April 2025, a fatal shark attack on a 40-year-old tourist occurred off the coast of Hadera in Israel. The man was snorkelling to observe sharks when he was attacked by several animals. Eyewitnesses filmed the incident: the holidaymaker called for help before the water surface turned red and several shark fins appeared. The following day, only a few human remains were found in the sea, which allowed for forensic identification.
Unusual culprits: Bull shark-like relatives
Particularly noteworthy: The animals involved were most likely dusky sharks (Carcharhinus obscurus), also known as “Dusky Sharks”. This shark species is not considered dangerous to humans and had not been involved in a single fatality worldwide until then. Analyses 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 occurred
Scientists reconstruct the sequence of events in two phases. Initially, a single shark may have been lured into a so-called reflex or “clumsiness bite” by the electromagnetic signal from the snorkeller’s camera. This initial bite was likely not intended as predation but resulted in an injury with blood loss. The smell of blood and the sounds of the attack then triggered a feeding frenzy: more sharks rushed towards the victim and inflicted fatal predatory bites.
This behaviour is referred to as a “feeding frenzy” – a situation that arises when several predators compete simultaneously for an apparent food source. In such situations, the animals’ natural caution is suppressed, meaning that humans can also become targets, even though they are not normally considered prey.
Background: Human influences
For several years, dozens of sharks have been gathering regularly 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 “begging behaviour” in the animals – a behaviour that brings them unnaturally close to humans and reduces their caution.
Experts warn: Such artificial interventions alter the animals’ behaviour and increase the risk of dangerous incidents. They call for a complete ban on feeding sharks as well as strict regulations for spearfishing and tourism in the region. Killing the sharks, however, is not a solution, as the problem is primarily man-made.
Conclusion
The case in Hadera is an extremely rare exception and differs significantly from typical shark attacks by species such as great white sharks, tiger sharks, or bull sharks. However, it demonstrates how much human activities can influence the behaviour of marine animals and that responsible tourism and protective measures are necessary to safeguard both humans and sharks.