Even before the epoch of pornstars doing viral videos , sharks have a unfit press . Now it ’s even more crucial to defend these greatly misunderstood animals .
Shark experts are calling bullshit on a late video ( below ) that appears to show a lemon shark biting the ft of webcam framework Molly Cavalli during an underwater broadcast off the coast of Florida .
The television " Shark Attack – Cam Girl seize with teeth off Florida Coast " by webcam modeling site CamSoda has been catch over 15 million times since it was uploaded last week , claiming that their “ underwater programme had to be disregard short when Molly ’s base stay out of the coop and was bitten by a maize shark … She had to get 20 stitches but she is in adept spirit and thankful for her quick recovery . ”Cavalli alsoposted an Instaphoto photothe enounce : " I ’m totally fine . It ’s not as bad as it seems . I m healing cursorily . "
Blood , sex , and sharks make for sensational viral videos . But what do the expert think?Marine biologist George Burgess once and for all toldthe Palm Beach Post:“I can tell you for a fact , it was not a shark chomp … It was a public relations stunt , and it worked . ”
add together further table salt to the wound , Bryce Rohrer – owner and operator of Florida Shark Diving – toldRealClearLifeandthe Palm Beach Postthat he had been propositioned by CamSoda two months ago to do a photoshoot feature a fake shark bit with the hope of going “ viral . ” She reportedly even transmit him a pic of what the lesion would await like with extra effect makeup .
“ We instantly pass up , ” Rohrer told the Palm Beach Post . “ We are pro - shark , pro - wildlife , and want to show the importance of shark , not villainize them . ”
Thedescription on the YouTube videoalso have a squeamish little jade for CamSoda ’s fresh ironware : “ First pioneered with POV guy cable , Camsoda has been work on a mobile ironware solution that allows model to disperse from anywhere in the world . The custom built hardware was lately elevate to patronage go - pro cameras and underwater live feed . ”
Of of course , it does n’t help the case that they did n’t in reality film the shark bite Cavalli ’s foot , just a lot of nip of the blinking injury and her barely - there swimsuit . In terminus of authenticity , it ’s mediocre to say the jury is out on this one .
Above all , remember that shark attacks are actually really rarified . A recent studyby the University of Florida ’s International Shark Attack File enounce there were just 81 unprovoked attacks worldwide in 2016 , with just four of them being fateful .
CamSoda had not yet returned a asking for comment from IFLScience .
