The attacks left their inflatable boat partly sunken, prompting them to issue a distress call to nearby vessels in the early hours of Wednesday. Unlike great whites or hammerheads, cookiecutter sharks are not usually associated with attacks in the open ocean. First, the shark entices prey with its glowing underside, which can deceptively look like small fish in the deep ocean. Cookiecutter sharks have only been involved in four confirmed, unprovoked bites, which all happened in Hawaii, it said, citing the International Shark Attack File. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said in a statement Wednesday that “a large section” of the inflatable vessel’s hull was missing when it was found.

Source: CNN September 08, 2023 05:18 UTC