A shark attacked and injured a Canadian tourist as she tried to take its picture in the Turks and Caicos Islands earlier this month, according to local authorities.
The attack occurred the morning of February 7 at a beach on Providenciales, one of the territory’s eastern islands, per a statement from the Royal Turks and Caicos Island Police Force.
“The 55-year-old victim was brought ashore and rushed to the Cheshire Hall Medical Center for treatment,” the police statement said, adding that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
In a press statement posted on social media, the Caribbean territory’s environmental department said that the tourist “had attempted to engage with the animal from the shallows in an attempt to take photographs.”
“The shark was estimated to be approximately 6ft in length, however the species is yet to be confirmed,” it continued.
Global Affairs Canada, the Canadian government body that manages diplomatic relations, said it was aware of “a Canadian citizen who experienced an accident in Turks and Caicos.”
“Consular officials have contacted local authorities to gather information and stand-ready to provide consular assistance,” Global Affairs continued.
Global Affairs declined to offer further information out of privacy concerns.
Though popular movies like “Jaws” have given sharks a reputation for hostility and aggression, attacks on humans are extremely rare, especially in Turks and Caicos. Per the Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack File, which tracks such incidents, there were only 3 recorded shark attacks in Turks and Caicos between 1749 and 2024. The Bahamas, meanwhile, recorded 33 in that period.
One of those rare attacks occurred just two years ago in 2023, when a shark bit a snorkeling American woman. She lost her leg in that attack, which the Florida Museum included in their 2023 annual report.
Dr. Gavin Naylor, who manages to the Shark Attack File, said that the most recent attack would be added to the total next February, when the database releases its yearly roundup.
There are about 30 different kinds of shark in that part of the Caribbean, according to Naylor.