Mexican diver decapitated by great white shark in first fatal attack of 2023 

A great white shark attacked and decapitated a diver off the coast of Mexico earlier this month, marking the first fatal shark attack of the year. 

The diver, identified as Manuel Lopez, 53, was looking for mollusks in Tobari Bay in the Gulf of California at 11:30 a.m. on January 5th. He was gathering ax tripe, a type of mollusk that usually resides on the ocean floor at depths of around 36 to 59 feet.  

However, Lopez encountered a 19-foot-long great white shark who bit his head and tore it off completely, according to the fishermen who were with the diver at the time of the attack.

"He was diving when the animal attacked him, impressively ripping off his head and biting both shoulders," said Jose Bernal, a man speaking on behalf of the fisherman.

Divers in the area had been warned that the number of sharks was increasing in the area in the days before the attack. 

“Local divers had been warned about the presence of sharks in the area, and most had not been out for several days,” said Bernal.

However, Lopez was in need of money and tried to take advantage of the seafood shortage in order to increase his revenue, ignoring the warnings.