Shark Attacks Are on the Rise Because People Keep Taking Selfies With Them

Turns out sharks aren’t the ones causing the biggest danger in the ocean these days—it’s people chasing likes. A new study published in Frontiers in Conservation says a surge in shark attacks can be traced back to influencers who treat wild predators like selfie props.

Contrary to what Hollywood blockbusters would have you believe, sharks aren’t mindless killers. Researchers argue that many so-called “attacks” are defensive responses by sharks who are being poked, prodded, and even grabbed by humans desperate for a viral moment.

“I don’t encourage, as many influencers do on social networks, [people] to cling to a shark’s dorsal fin or stroke it, under the pretext of proving that they are harmless,” said Professor Eric Clua of PSL University in Paris, who led the study.

His advice for anyone who finds themselves swimming with sharks? “Don’t touch. Just look at it. Enjoy its beauty, but remember they are wild animals, predators that can act as predators. It is not only a matter of safety but also of respect.”

Selfies Are Behind the Rise in Shark Attacks

Researchers analyzed records of shark encounters off French Polynesia between 2009 and 2023, finding that many of the 74 recorded bites were likely defensive. A review of the global Shark Attack Files showed more than 300 similar incidents. Most defensive bites came without warning and involved superficial injuries—a sign that sharks weren’t trying to hunt, but rather to get humans to back off.

Unfortunately, that message hasn’t reached the “fin-fluencers.” Viral videos show influencers like Taylor Cunningham grabbing the noses of tiger sharks for clout. Others, like conservationist Andriana Fragola, advise caution but still engage in risky behavior, sometimes touching sharks for photos and posting close-encounter videos to hundreds of thousands of followers.

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A post shared by Taylor Cunningham | Sharks & Freediving (@taylork.sea)

The consequences have been deadly. In recent months, a Canadian tourist in Turks and Caicos lost both her hands after trying to take a selfie with a shark. In Israel, a 40-year-old father of four was killed while filming sharks off the coast.

Professor Clua points out that humans don’t recognize the difference between shark species the way they do with dogs. “People know the difference between a [Yorkshire terrier] and a pit bull, whereas they don’t know the difference between a blacktip reef shark and a bull shark, which are their marine equivalents,” he explained.

And for the record, sharks are responsible for fewer than 10 human deaths a year worldwide. By contrast, dogs cause thousands. Sharks aren’t villains—but treating them like props is a bad idea for everyone involved.