Diver's terrifying encounter with 9ft shark that clamped jaws around his skull

A marine scientist studying shark migration patterns was savagely attacked by a 9ft Galápagos shark whilst diving more than 100ft underwater on Saturday.

Dr Mauricio Hoyos, 48, who heads the Mexico-based conservation group Pelagios Kakunjá, suffered 27 wounds during the terrifying deep-sea encounter, according toThe New York Times - one for each of the shark's teeth that pierced his jaw and face through his diving mask.

"My whole head was inside of her mouth in less than a second," Hoyos said from a hospital in Costa Rica. "If she wanted, she could have killed me."

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Hoyos' crew joined forces with Fins Attached Marine Research and Conservation, a charity organisation, to launch a research expedition on September 20 to the underwater mountain ridge off Cocos Island, situated more than 400 miles from Costa Rica.

Their aim was to establish what kind of protection sharks in the area might require from commercial fishing, reports the Mirror US.

On the sixth day of the voyage, Hoyos put on his diving equipment and pole spear and descended to a depth of 123ft. Moments later, he spotted the 9ft female shark and fired his pole spear to tag it, striking it in the dorsal fin. The shark swiftly lunged towards him and opened its jaws.

"She turned sideways in my direction; it was really fast," he told The Times on Wednesday. "It was wide open; my whole head was inside of her mouth in less than a second."

He revealed that he heard a cracking noise, "but it was just pressure." He further added, "As soon as she felt my skull, she released me. She opened and swam away."

His scuba mask quickly filled with a mix of blood and water, and the shark's teeth had severed his air hoses. Amidst the chaos, he sensed the shark making its retreat.

"I saw the shadow twice in front of me," he shared. "If she wanted, she could have killed me."

He then began a slow ascent to the surface, being careful not to rush the necessary decompression process. He said: "My main concern was I felt like I could not breathe. I tried to suck air, and it was not working.

"To be honest, it was like in slow motion. But my mind was very calm. I was thinking the whole time about what to do."

Upon breaking through the waves, he felt faint, he admitted. His team swiftly hoisted him aboard a skiff and sped towards Cocos Island, where medics treated him before he was transported to a mainland hospital.

On Wednesday, he was awaiting surgery to treat the 27 injuries on his jaw, face and scalp. "How he responded was probably a lot different from a normal diver," commented Dr. Alex Antoniou, director of Fins Attached.

"He understands shark behaviour," he added. Hoyos suggested the shark was likely taken aback by his tag, having not noticed a diver nearby before she was punctured.

""It was a defensive bite. She wanted me to stay away from her personal space," he explained. "She was scared, too. It was not her fault."