Jalil Najafov, a shark conservationist, filmmaker, and photographer, was amazed during a great
white shark expedition in Mexico when he spotted a 15-foot shark with an enormous circular
scar, the likes of which he had never seen before, from a bite mark.
In August 2019, Najafov was given the opportunity to participate in a five-day great white shark
expedition to Isla Guadalupe, Mexico, as a guest on the Pacific Fleet boat.
Guadalupe Island, located 130 nautical miles (or 150 regular miles) west of Mexico's Baja
California Peninsula, is renowned for its scuba diving and encounters with great white
sharks.
“On the second day of the trip, I was lucky enough to meet and film Seabatch,” Najafov
tells PetaPixel.
“On the last day, I saw this shark from the boat.
Before we left the island, she swam past our boat as if she wanted to say goodbye.”
After spotting the scar, Najafov conducted a dive underwater in a cage to get a better
photo of the mark with his GoPro HERO7.
The scar on the passing shark sparked a “heated discussion” among the team.
The filmmaker was very surprised to see such a huge bite mark — he understood that it
was a shark bite but could not believe that it was as big as it was.
“I guessed that it was an act of aggression since mating usually leaves scars in the gill
areas,” he reasons.
“I knew that I had filmed very rare footage, and it could go viral on social media.”
The shark photographer used multiple cameras and ended up losing track of the memory card
with the bite mark photos on it.
When he finally found the card on July 17, 2021, he posted to @discoversharks and his
Instagram to ask his followers their thoughts–was the unusual wound caused by mating, aggression,
or something else?
The photo, in which he named the shark Survivor, was very well received and was the most liked
photo on his Instagram page.
He sent this photo to the company that distributed his content to the media, but they were “not
interested” in distributing this particular set.
On December 13, 2021, the diver published other female shark photos with mating bite
marks.
On rare occasions, during mating season among sharks, Najafov explains, “mating scars”
appear on female sharks’ bodies due to male sharks biting to hold onto them.
“The video of mating scars on sharks went viral, and I started receiving media inquiries
for more information on the subject,” says the conservationist.
“I thought it was a good chance to show the ‘real’ bite marks.
“Before I posted Seabatch (Survivor) again on my page, I decided to ask my friend, scientist
Doctor.
Tristian Guttridge’s [VP/Director marine nonprofit Saving the Blue and Discovery Channel’s
Shark Week presenter] opinion, and his answer was the same as mine.
So, I posted the photo, and it went super-viral…”
Michael Domeier, another friend and Shark Week presenter, who is President/Executive
Director of the Marine Conservation Science Institute, also felt it was an attack from
another shark.
The shark diver believes it to be a bite mark, as this is a scar on the shark’s underside
that shows the circular shape of the jaw.
It could not have been from getting caught by a boat’s propeller or rocks because of
the circular shape.
Sharks frequently change their habitats but are not territorial by nature.
There is evidence that great white sharks assume dominance hierarchies around feeding
territories, and the largest sharks usually get the best hunting spots.
Sharks live in harsh conditions, and therefore the showing of aggression is quite normal
for the species.
They often fight for prey, during the mating season, and to protect themselves from larger
species.
“Regarding many comments on social media that they believe this scar could have remained
from the shark’s juvenile period, given the speed of wound regeneration in sharks,
such a theory is incorrect,” says the shark enthusiast.
“It has long been noted that sharks’ wounds heal remarkably very quickly.
I have seen photos of injured sharks before and after injury from other photographers.
“Another theory from the comments is [that the scar is from a] killer whale bite mark,
but the shape of the orca’s jaws and teeth is different,” Najafov says.
“I think this shark’s scar is about a year old, and it was the result of a bite
from another great white shark.
“It’s hard to say what size this shark could have been.
We will try to draw a 3D model of the great Deep Blue shark [a female great white shark
estimated to be 20 ft long and is said to be over fifty years old] and see what bite
size she could leave on a [shark of this size].
“Of course, there may be white sharks larger than the Deep Blue that have not appeared
in front of humans.
I don’t believe in the megalodon [literally big tooth] theory, as many are now publishing
it.
Unfortunately, we will never know for sure what happened to Seabatch.
The only thing for sure is that the bite was massive.”
Great white sharks generally measure up to 13 feet (4m) for males and up to 16 feet (4.9m)
for females, on average.
Najafov grew up in Azerbaijan, a country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western
Asia.
He has always had a passion for sharks and the ocean, which led him to leave the government
job that he had worked for several years.
He soon found himself traveling and six years ago he decided to dedicate his life to filming
and photographing sharks in their natural habitat.
Today he often stays in the United States, but his hometown is still in Azerbaijan.
He has set himself a goal of educating people about sharks and the importance of preserving
them.
As a conservationist, it is difficult for Najafov to comprehend the fact that hundreds
of sharks are killed every minute solely for their fins, used in a dish called shark fin
soup.
He strongly believes that raising awareness about the plight of sharks is crucial and
is making a concerted effort to draw attention to the cause through his videos and photographs.
Najafov stresses that sharks are not the ferocious, human-devouring creatures often portrayed
in movies.
The likelihood of being attacked by a shark is quite low, but it can vary depending on
the species one is swimming with.
He advises divers to always remember that they are in the presence of wild animals and
to take a moment to look around, observe the sharks in their natural habitat, and take
great photos and videos, instead of constantly focusing on the camera viewfinder
Najafov only uses a shark cage when diving in Isla Guadalupe, Mexico.
In most other locations, he engages in free diving, typically remaining 2-5 meters (7-16
feet) underwater.
"It is important to always heed the advice of your shark guides," advises Najafov, a
seasoned shark diver who has also captured images of orcas, whales, marlins, and other
marine life.
"Remember that the ocean is their home, and always show them respect.
Unfortunately, between 70 and 250 million sharks are killed each year, so it's crucial
that we take action to protect them.