Tulum, Q.R. — A Tulum fisherman was taken to hospital Wednesday after being attacked while in the sea. Alex “N” was transferred to a Playa del Carmen hospital for treatment after receiving three large bites on his leg.
The incident happened off Playa Tankah in the northern part of the municipality of Tulum Wednesday morning. The young man was swimming to shore with a load of caught fish when he was attacked.
According to Sergio Amílcar Canto Contreras, the General Director of Tulum Civil Protection, the at-sea attack happened sometime between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., however, they were not notified until several hours later.
Alex “N” suffered three bites to his leg while swimming to shore with a load of captured catfish.
Several local media outlets have attributed the bite to a shark, something that has not been confirmed by Civil Protection. One of the most aggressive local fish are barracudas, whose bites can also cause deep slashing cuts.
According to Oceana, “barracudas hunt mostly by sight and sometimes attempt to steal fish from spear fishers or approach divers, mistaking the glint of a diving knife as a shiny fish.”
Last year, a young Colorado boy was reportedly bitten by a shark while swimming off a Cancun beach. That bite turned out to be from a barracuda. However, in October of 2023, a 59-year-old fisherman from Othón P. Blanco was taken to hospital for bites while in the Biosphere Reserve. The man was fishing near Cayo Centro when he was bitten on his arm by a small shark.
