There's nothing like a shark attack to generate headlines but in Cancun, Mexico a Canadian woman is being blamed for provoking the shark that bit her.

Media reports in Cancun are pointing accusing fingers at shark attack victim Nicole Ross. The Ontario nurse almost lost a leg and also suffered serious arm injuries when the shark mauled her off a resort hotel beach earlier this week.

One report quotes a professional diver in Cancun who says: "reckless tourists did not respect the distance to take pictures...this animal has only acted in self defense and bit a Canadian." He was commenting on claims tourists approached a female bull shark that some witnesses said was giving birth. A spokesman for Mexico's National Commission of Natural Protected Areas echoes that and adds: "don't call this a shark attack because the animal acted in self defence."