For a massive tiger shark, this footage may capture the one that got away! For a fortunate diver, however, it records what is probably the luckiest day of his life. This extraordinary encounter was recorded at the amazing Beqa Lagoon in Fiji. Lonely Planet describes it as a place “where the boldest of divers hang out with some of the world’s largest and most-feared predators.” Opportunities to get up close and personal with sharks are plentiful here because of relationships that the local population has fostered for thousands of years.
Don’t Miss This Frightening Scene in the Video Below
The theory is that teams of local ‘shark wranglers’ accompany tourists and visitors on dives. The feeding sites have been specifically designed and the wranglers position their bodies in between the divers and the sharks. They then use hand signals to direct the sharks to where the food is and away from the divers. They also have poles to manually move the sharks as a last resort.
On this particular day, one large fish did not get the memo!
The rogue fish was a large tiger shark. These are the fourth biggest species of shark found in the world. They are also known as the leopard shark or more appropriate for this video, the maneater shark!
They use quick bursts of speed to capture prey and can swim at up to 20 mph. Their teeth are powerful enough to bite through a sea turtle’s shell so it would have no problems getting through a diver’s wetsuit. This shark causes the second-highest number of human fatalities – surpassed only by the great white. They are one of the more aggressive species of shark and deserve the highest respect. There’s no doubt that this diver was in danger and had a very lucky escape.
These fearsome sharks grow up to 17 feet in length and are found in tropical waters – usually at depths of around 450 feet but they can also be found on the surface. These sharks have a reputation for swallowing anything they find in the ocean and many of them are found with plastic debris in their stomachs.
This particular shark was attempting to eat a diver and his equipment. This footage is one of several camera angles that have been captured of the incident. It turns into a frantic scuffle on the floor of the ocean as the diver’s companions work desperately to fend off the shark. The huge fish appears to be biting the back of his neck and he loses his mask in the struggle. The shark is fended off with a large hook and the diver survives the ordeal thanks to the quick actions of those around him.
The photo featured at the top of this post is © Tomas Kotouc/Shutterstock.com
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