Incident Report
Spearfisher Struck by Caribbean Reef Shark in Bahamas
Unknown, Unknown·BAHAMAS
A 28-year-old experienced spearfisher was bitten on the face by a 1.5-meter Caribbean reef shark at 12 meters depth in the Bahamas. The shark struck without circling, tearing away his mask and regulator before he escaped to the surface.
Please take a moment to consider the human impact of this event on the victim and their loved ones. The data presented here documents real events that affected real people and families.
Why this is notable
The case is scientifically interesting for the documented hypothesis — supported by investigators Doug Perrine and the Florida Shark Attack File — that the shark may have mistaken the diver's white silicone mask and metal rim for a fish, offering a well-evidenced example of mistaken-identity trigger behaviour; the incident also involved a second interaction in which the same shark consumed a speared fish and charged another diver twice before being fended off, providing an unusually detailed multi-victim behavioural sequence.
Incident Profile
Circumstances
Environmental
Individual
Location
Description
On July 19, 1988, Larry Press was spearfishing with two companions, Wayne Savage and Dan Burdack, on a reef in the Bahamas. Press, an experienced spearfisher wearing a white silicone rubber mask with a metal rim, had observed a shark in the area and warned his friends ahead of him. Unlike his companions who were towing speared hogfish, Press was not carrying any fish when the incident occurred. At approximately 12 meters depth, a 1.5-meter Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi) approached Press directly without the typical circling behavior. The shark struck the left side of his face from behind with considerable force. The impact tore away his mask and dislodged his regulator mouthpiece, leaving him temporarily blinded and without air. Press immediately ascended to the surface, discarded his remaining gear, and swam against the current to reach the boat. Meanwhile, below the surface, Savage—who was carrying speared fish on a shaft—felt his equipment suddenly wrenched from his grasp. He observed the same shark consuming the fish from his spear. The shark subsequently charged Savage twice, but he successfully defended himself using a spare spear shaft each time. Press sustained three lacerations to the left side of his face requiring 28 stitches for closure. Investigators suggested that Press's white mask and its reflective metal rim may have visually resembled the white belly and silvery scales of a dead fish, potentially triggering the shark's predatory response. The incident was classified as unprovoked.