The diver decapitated by a 19-foot great white shark may have been targeted as an urgent warning to swimmers

An urgent warning has been issued to swimmers after a diver was beheaded by a 19-foot great white shark off the coast of Mexico.

Manuel López was scuba diving when he was killed by the beast in the first fatal shark attack of the year.

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He was collecting ax tripe, a mollusk like a scallop, in the open sea around 11:30 am on January 6 when he was attacked by the shark in front of horrified fishermen.

López, who was in his 50s, had his head blown off and his shoulders shredded when the giant shark surfaced off the coast of Benito Juarez, Sonora.

Fisherman José Bernal said anglers had been on high alert in the days leading up to the attack as great white sharks had been sighted in the ocean.

And according to Tracking Sharks, shellfish divers in Mexico are being told to wear black wetsuits and are being told to wear striped patterns to stand out in the ocean.

Great white sharks migrate to the area to feed in December and January – and pregnant females often prey on sea lions and seals.

This means that due to the dark color of the wetsuits, the beasts often mistake divers for their natural prey.

However, López could have been targeted because of the color of his wetsuit.

Bernal said López went into hiding when the animal ambushed him, “ripping off his head and biting both shoulders”.

He said thousands of anglers stayed ashore for fear of attack.

“Local divers were warned of the presence of sharks in the area and most hadn’t been out for several days,” he told Tracking Sharks.

But it’s clear that financial pressures meant López decided to take a dip on his latest trip.

He lived in the nearby town of Paredón Colorado.

The sea off Mexico is home to one of the largest great white sharks in the world, known as Deep Blue.

Incredible footage shows the 22-foot ocean giant swimming dangerously close to two brave divers in Guadalupe.

Weighing a whopping 2.5 tons, the 50-year-old predator outshone the divers as they reached out to interact with the beast.

In July 2016, a giant shark nicknamed the “White Death” was caught off the coast of Guadalupe, Mexico.

The great white’s exact measurements were not taken, but a visual comparison with the current record holder suggests the shark could be a world record contender.