10. The USS Indianapolis: The worst shark attack ever.
It’s known as the worst shark attack in history and one of the most horrific episodes of the Second World War. When hundreds of sailors managed to escape the USS Indianapolis when she was sunk by a torpedo, they thought they would be safe. However, their ship went down in shark-infested waters. And, since their ship was on a top-secret mission, nobody knew it had been hit, and no help was on the way. For days, the unfortunate men had no choice but to wait and pray – and hope they wouldn’t be picked off by the dozens of circling sharks.
It was in late July 1945 when the Indianapolis was sailing from the Pacific Island of Tinian to the Philippines when it was hit. Two Japanese torpedoes split the huge ship in half. In just 12 minutes, it went under, taking dozens of men to a watery grave. Most men survived, however, abandoning ship and ending up in the warm waters of the Pacific. There were no lifeboats, though the men all had lifejackets on. In all, 900 men made it alive into the water. But then, the sharks arrived.
At first, oceanic white-tipped sharks fed on the dead. But then they started devouring the living. The men gathered in groups for protection. However, one by one, they were picked off, vanishing under the waves in pools of blood. As well as the sharks, the men also had to cope with dehydration and exposure. Many drowned or went mad. It was only four days later that the Navy learned of their fate and sent help. By then, around 700 had perished in the open water. Nobody knows for certain how many of those were eaten by sharks.