I have just published a study confirming the anticipation (or anti-predation) motivation in sharks when they are harassed by humans. Instead of passively waiting for the human aggression to materialise, the shark strikes first. This type of bite has previously been described in diving contexts, in particular when a shark feels « trapped » against a hard substrate; a more modern case, linked to the rise of jet-skis, is that of pursuit harassment, in which sharks turn on their pseudo-aggressors… who are obviously the ones primarily responsible for the incident, even though it will wrongly be described as « a shark attack »….
To access the article in English:
