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Shark attack survivor recounts near-fatal encounter off Costa Rica
Marine biologist Mauricio Hoyos still vividly recalls the crushing force of a 3.5-meter (11.5 ft) Galapagos shark's jaws clamping around his skull during a research dive near Cocos Island in September. The predator's sudden lunge left him with seconds to react-a defensive maneuver that likely saved his life by shielding his jugular vein.
Speaking from his home in Baja California, Mexico, just over a month after the attack, Hoyos described the ordeal with striking clarity. "When it closed its jaw, I felt the pressure-then, after what seemed like a second, it released me," he told BBC Mundo. Despite deep facial lacerations and a severed air hose, the 30-year shark research veteran called his recovery "incredible" and expressed eagerness to reunite with the animal that nearly killed him.
'A warning bite': Understanding shark behavior
Hoyos interprets the attack as instinctive territorial behavior rather than predation. "It was like a dog's warning nip," he explained. "Dogs bite to establish dominance without causing serious harm. This shark did the same-it asserted itself, then let go."
The incident unfolded during a routine tagging expedition. Alerted by tourists to the shark's presence at 40 meters (131 ft) depth, Hoyos descended with his team's acoustic tagging equipment. The female shark, measuring over 3 meters, initially swam past him toward the seabed. As he positioned himself to attach the tag near her dorsal fin, her reaction diverged from the hundreds of sharks he'd previously tagged.
"The metal tip entered her skin, but instead of fleeing like others, she turned and fixed me with her eye-calm, deliberate. Then, without warning, she lunged."
Mauricio Hoyos, marine biologist
Hoyos instinctively ducked, feeling the shark's lower teeth grind into his cheek and upper teeth press against his skull. "I was inside its mouth for a second, maybe less," he said. "Then it just... released me."
Race to the surface: A diver's training put to the test
The attack severed Hoyos's primary air supply and shattered his diving mask, flooding his vision with blood-tinged water. With visibility near zero, he grabbed his backup "octopus" regulator-only to find it malfunctioning, blasting unregulated air. "I had to use my lips to control the airflow," he recalled, a technique drilled into divers during emergency training.
Estimating less than a minute of breathable air remained, Hoyos focused on the faint surface light. "I swam upward in slow, controlled strokes," he said. "Erratic movements might have provoked another attack." Crew members pulled him aboard, where the captain immediately radioed park rangers for medical evacuation.
Adrenaline masked the pain initially, but the physical toll soon became apparent. "The bite itself didn't hurt much-the impact did," Hoyos said. "It felt like being hit by a car." His jaw bore a massive bruise, though fortunately no fractures.
'Miraculous' recovery defies expectations
Medical teams met Hoyos at the dock, where paramedics rushed him into surgery. Doctors later called his healing "amazing": within 48 hours of the September 27 attack-and after a 34-hour transit-he underwent debridement to remove damaged tissue. Reconstructive surgery followed just two days later, with no signs of infection.
"They warned me about the risks," Hoyos said. "A similar 2017 attack in the same area required a month in a hyperbaric chamber because the wounds wouldn't heal. Mine closed rapidly." He credits his swift recovery to "pure luck" and the shark's precise bite-avoiding arteries and his brain.
Advocacy undeterred: A scientist's bond with sharks
Far from deterring him, the attack deepened Hoyos's commitment to shark conservation. "People say oceans would be better without sharks," he said, tracing a finger along the jagged scar on his cheek. "They're wrong. Sharks maintain the balance-this female chose to spare me. That's proof."
The shark, now tagged with an acoustic tracker, remains in the waters off Roca Sucia, where the attack occurred. Hoyos plans to return there in January. "I've booked a trip from the 20th to the 27th," he said, smiling. "I'll dive those same depths. If I see her again, I'll thank her."
"This scar lets me keep telling sharks' story-their beauty, their necessity. That's a debt I owe."
Mauricio Hoyos
