Watch A Famous Diver Calmly Swim With A Great White Shark The Size Of A Ford Taurus

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Movies have a way of scarring you for life — that’s the case for many with the movie Jaws, which presented great white sharks as monsters. However, the reality of these sharks is much different. In the video below, you hear it straight from Ocean Ramsey, a free-diving, shark-conserving marine biologist who is passionate about changing the way we perceive these stunning creatures.

What Do Marine Biologists Do?

Marine biologists operate with a mission to better understand marine organisms. They primarily study biological oceanography but also venture into associated fields like geological oceanography, physical oceanography, and chemical oceanography. The topic is quite broad so it’s up to marine biologists to pick an area to focus on. Their days may differ depending on their chosen specialty but usually, a marine biologist may spend hours diving into the ocean, taking samples, working through them in a lab, and finally, documenting all their findings.

Who Is Ocean Ramsey?

Ocean Ramsey has several titles, including professional freediver, shark conservationist, and marine biologist. She’s also a writer and offers online courses for anyone interested in learning more about shark behavior and safety. She has a passion for sharks and their conservation because she has an intimate understanding of the role they play in our ecosystems. She considers them the “doctors of the ocean society” because of their innate draw toward consuming the weak, dying, and dead, which prevents illnesses from proliferating. Aside from online courses and books, she offers an incredible opportunity to learn to swim with sharks in Hawaii.

Great White Encounter

The video below is covered by a news station and shares impressive footage of Ramsey swimming alongside the record-breaking great white shark in Oahu, Hawaii, at one point even holding on to its fin as they glide through the water together. The 50-year-old shark is eight feet wide and nearly 20 feet long — you can better appreciate its size with Ramsey swimming right next to it for comparison. However, the reporter shares other comparisons, noting that the shark is only 10 feet short of a big yellow school bus and as tall as a giraffe!

The reporter then moves to an interview with Ramsey, inquiring about the magnificent encounter. Ramsey expresses her genuine joy and awe at having been blessed by the presence of the grandma shark. But just as she’s reminiscing about the incredible moment she experienced, she highlights her broken heart because she knows moments like this are becoming increasingly rare. The reporter questioned further, wondering how she knew she wasn’t in danger in the presence of the giant shark. Ramsey points to her expertise and further expresses her lament that movies have painted an image of sharks that don’t coincide with reality. Watch the video below to hear the full interview!