Tayane Dalazen Waterfalla lawyer 36 years old, swam in the crystalline waters of the archipelago Fernando de Noronhaan island north of Brazilwhen was bite for a shark nurse. Through his Instagram account he shared the video of the attack and assured that the quick action of the guide saved his life.
The woman, a specialist in labor law and procedure, lives in São Paulo, but the incident happened on January 9 during her vacation in Noronha.
Tay Dalazen has a vacation farm in Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. (Photo: IG @taydalazen)Passionate about water sports, surfing is one of her great passions, and also diving. In an Instagram post where he recounted what happened, he commented that on Friday he went to do snorkel in front of the Fishermen’s Association, accompanied by two friends and the qualified local tour guideErivaldo Alves da Silva, better known as Nego Noronha.
«I went to Praia do Porto to do a dive with a certified guide to a common activity in the region: swim with nurse sharks. I was always fully aware that this is the habitat of wild animalsand that although it is not a species known for its frequent attacks, there are risks,» he acknowledged.
«I entered the sea from the beach and swam to the diving point. At no time did I touch, feed or provoke any animal, I wasn’t wearing jewelry and I didn’t jump from a boat,» he clarified.
As seen in the video recorded by one of her friends, while she was swimming face down, a nurse shark bit her on the leg. What happened in the following minutes was key to safeguarding his life.
In dialogue with the Brazilian newspaper The Globetold what happened after the recording was cut. «I felt my leg shake, it sucked me in and wouldn’t let go; and I thought I couldn’t put my hands on his jaw to make him let go because I could tear them off«he said.
The moment she was bitten by a shark in Fernando de Noronha. (Photo: IG @taydalazen)At that moment the guide acted and hit the shark on the back several times and the shark released Tayane. «He saved me and I am very grateful to him,» she said.
«This species of shark does not usually attack, unless they are disturbed, and unlike the cutting bite of the most aggressive sharks, the nurse shark applies a suction and holding technique to catch its prey,» explained the lawyer herself.
Once out of the water, he received help from local fishermen, and Caroline Pereira, one of his friends, a dermatologist by profession, applied first aid by cleaning the wound to prevent infection.
The woman bitten by a shark received quick medical attention and has since been discharged. «I remained calm at all times, and then we went to the São Lucas Hospital, where they gave me the tetanus vaccine, some sutures on the lesions, antibiotics and then they discharged me,» he explained.
«Regardless of what happened, the behavior of a guide moments before draws attention, who hit the shark with a camera. «These are facts that deserve to be investigated and duly clarified,» said the young woman, who believes that this act generated the shark’s reaction.
Four shark bites in three months: investigation in Fernando de Noronha
«I don’t feel traumatized by what happened. That area is the habitat of wild animals and we entered there; this was not a sudden attack, it was an accident and fortunately I am fine,» argued Dalazen, and projected her desire to return to the island next year.
The lawyer and amateur surfer showed the progress of the injuries 72 hours after the attack.Faced with the incident, the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) opened an investigation into the circumstances of the attack.
The entity warned about the erroneous interaction with marine fauna, and recalled that it is prohibited to feed wild animals within the conservation area.
He assured that he has plans to return to the island of Fernando de Noronha.These types of actions increase the risks, both for visitors and for the animals themselves. The authorities insist that tourists respect the rules and avoid any act that could endanger the archipelago’s wildlife.
The representative of ICMBio, Mario Douglasalso warned about the risks of irregular shark feeding in the area. «They are already two shark bites in the last two weeks and four cases in three months,» he revealed.
«Maybe we only have one solution left: close the area to any ships calling,» he warned. «Shark tourism is important, but it must be done with good practices and responsibility,» he said, recalling that there are areas where diving is prohibited to protect marine life.
