This is the moment a female snorkeller was attacked and bitten on the leg by a shark while freediving in Brazil.
Terrifying footage shows several nurse sharks swimming around Tayane Dalazen before one of them lurches towards her and clamps on to her leg.
The 36-year-old could be seen flailing around in a desperate attempt to shake off the predator which had started to drag her down towards the sea bed.
Speaking after the attack, in Brazil‘s Fernando de Noronha archipelago, Ms Dalazen said she immediately realised what had happened and explained how the animal held onto her leg.
She said: ‘I knew I had been bitten. I felt it shaking me by the leg. The guide had to hit it so it would let me go.’
Ms Dalazen was with two friends and accompanied by a tour guide when the attack took place.
After leaving the water, she was helped by the guide and by fishermen who were on nearby boats before receiving first aid from her dermatologist friend who cleaned the wound.
The 36-year-old was then taken to hospital, where she received treatment and was later discharged.
Photographs shared afterwards show the injury, which Ms Dalazen claimed was not very deep.
The footage shows several sharks swimming around the woman before a nurse shark suddenly bites her leg
After leaving the water, she was helped by the guide and by fishermen
The gruesome photos show numerous puncture wounds on her leg
However, the gruesome photos show numerous puncture wounds on her leg from the rows of teeth in the shark’s mouth.
In posts on her social media, she reassured followers that she was fine and joked about the fish, saying: ‘The shark must be missing a tooth’.
She added: ‘Will I have a scar? Yes. But I’ll be a surfer with a shark scar. I think it even gives me some prestige.’
The dive took place in front of a fishermen’s association, where tourists frequently gather to see sharks and where environmentalists have previously warned about the risks linked to irregular feeding of animals.
The Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation has opened an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.
They reiterated that feeding wild animals is prohibited within the conservation area, and that inappropriate interaction with marine life can increase risks.
In posts on social media, she reassured followers that she was fine
The dive took place in front of a fishermen’s association, where tourists frequently gather to see sharks
This comes just days after a Minnesota woman was killed after a shark ripped her arm off in the US Virgin Islands.
Arlene Lillis was snorkeling at Dorsch Beach in St Croix on Thursday when she was bitten, police say.
First responders with the fire department confirmed the 56-year-old grandmother lost an arm during the attack and later succumbed to her injuries.
Marine units, as well as fire and emergency medical services, attended the scene, the Virgin Island Police Department said.
Virgin Islands Lieutenant Governor Tregenza Roach said Lillis was a ‘frequent visitor to our beautiful islands’ and neighbors confirmed she owned property on the US territory.
Her husband, Rich Lillis, described his spouse as a ‘sweet wife, mother and grandmother,’ in a Facebook post confirming her death at their ‘second home.’
