Marine Life Mexican tourist survives shark attack - Cocos Island National Park

[Joemdown]

Yep, marine bio from Mexico not a tourist and likely involved in tagging.

Like any dive there is risk, but Coco's is relatively incident free. The other incident a few years back in which the US tourist died was unfortunate, but she was diving with an instructor who had never dived Coco's before. They had surfaced and was finning back to the boat (looking like a tasty turtle going for air). The shark (I think a tiger) came towards them, and the instructor freaked with how close it got and tried to kick it away. Obviously annoyed the shark and he came back and took a chunk from her legs, or possibly took the bite as the instructor kicked. I think the instructor survived she unfortunately did not.

I've read a few of the articles on it albeit not all, and they are vague / non descriptive on what actually led to the attack whereas the above account was from an tico instructor I recently dived with who was on a liveaboard there when it happened. Ultimately it was due to going with an inexperienced dive instructor not knowing how to handle those creatures (he apparently had not even dived Coco's let alone guided there before).

 

[Bogie]

if you survive a shark attack, it was a good day.

maybe not a great day : )'

 

[Steelyeyes]

First hand account.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/world/americas/marine-biologist-shark-bite-costa-rica.html

 

[Johnoly]

First hand account.

Thank you for posting the link. Lemon Sharks are another that will regularly turn on us if chased. I'm guessing that the Coco's park rangers will stop all tagging permissions now.