Sharks in the Caribbean are advised to be vigilant when swimming near human-infested shorelines, after yet another deadly human attack resulted in the brutal death of a blue shark in the Dominican Republic. The incident is the latest in a series of seemingly unprovoked assaults by people on marine wildlife around the world, and while the cause of this strange behavior remains unexplained, experts believe the ever-increasing popularity of the “selfie” may be driving this spate of idiotic human aggression.

The shark was dragged from the water by a group of men in Punta Cana, some of whom are reported to have been lifeguards working for the nearby Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. A spectator captured the horrifying event on video, revealing how the men used ropes to drag the highly distressed creature from the sea, before pressing its head to the sand using a life ring.

A number of tourists then posed for photographs with the shark as it lay dying on the shore.

In response to this barbaric incident, a spokesperson for the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino told The Dodo that “corrective measures” would be taken against the staff members involved, adding that their behavior “is absolutely against our standards of protecting animals as we protect our guests.”

 ^{Main image: Facebook/Gary Stokes}