Intense Video Captures A Fearless 8-Year-Old Boy Fending Off A Charging Shark

The courage of this eight-year-old boy is incredible. He is much braver than many adults would have been when he is faced with an aggressive blacktip reef shark. He was exploring underwater caves west of Walkers Cay which lies 53 miles to the northeast of West End, Grand Bahama, in the northern Bahamas. His Dad and brother were fishing off a boat nearby. In the below clip, we get to see what happened when a reef shark with attitude turned up.

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Where Do Blacktip Reef Sharks Live?

Blacktip reef sharks (C. melanopterus) are found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Their habitats are coastal shallows, mangrove swamps, and coral reefs – from which they get their name. You can come across these sharks in the waters off of East Africa, as well as in the Persian Gulf, and the Red Sea. You can also spot them towards the Tuamoto Archipelago and the Hawaiian Islands. They have even been spotted around Japan and off the north coast of Australia. There are reports of them using the Suez Canal to access the eastern Mediterranean.

They are usually around five feet in length but can grow up to seven feet. They have a classic torpedo-shaped shark body with a rounded snout. However, their most unique feature is the black tips and white borders on all of their fins.

Are Blacktip Reef Sharks Usually Aggressive?

These guys have complex personalities. On one level they can be inquisitive and social but can also be skittish and timid. Their habit of swimming with their dorsal fin exposed – just like a great white – can make them look scary.

Attacks on humans are not common but you have to bear in mind that these sharks are fast and have sharp teeth.

In theory, they should not see us as potential prey. They feed on reef fish such as the grouper and mullet. They also eat squid and octopus and small crustaceans like shrimp.

However, attacks are not unheard of. According to the International Shark Attack File, there have been 14 unprovoked attacks by blacktip reef sharks since records began which is a lot less than the 351 recorded for great white sharks! These numbers have to be viewed with caution as the identification of sharks is not always accurate.

Nevertheless, this particular shark looks agitated and they are known to attack if they feel threatened or their territory is invaded. The best advice is to scare them off which is exactly what this young swimmer did.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/damocean