Footage has emerged of a diver in the Bahamas narrowly escaping a tiger shark, as the predator moved in for an inquisitive bite that would have severed the unfortunate man’s head.
The clip was uploaded three weeks ago, and appeared on Fiji’s Beqa Adventure Divers blog, according to Grind TV , as part of a post critical of divers who lose perspective when free diving with tiger sharks and other oceanic predators. The post also contained a photo of a bloodied leg, the result of another tiger shark bite, though it did not originate from the same location. The footage was said to have been captured at Tiger Beach, an area in the Bahamas noted for a docile resident population of sharks that interact regularly with divers. Those who descend into Tiger Beach in order to observe the sharks do so without the protection of a cage, though injuries are rare.
In the video, which lasts just a few seconds, a diver can be seen photographing the tiger sharks, as one of the predators moves overhead. Unbeknownst to the diver, the shark moves in, opening its mouth for an inquisitive bite. Noticing the shark in the nick of time, the diver pulls his head out of the way, just as the tiger shark bites down where he would have been. The predator appears to not have been intent on attacking the aquanaut, instead attempting to determine if he was acceptable prey, a common action among sharks.
Divers Chilling Below Huge Tiger Shark pic.twitter.com/qzzJlQK9xc
— Danny (@Danyoliver31) March 12, 2015
The author of the post clarified in a comment on Pete Thomas Outdoors that it was not aimed at Jim Abernethy, a diver who has been vocal about a special bond he shares with one of the sharks at Tiger Beach . As the Inquisitr previously reported, Abernethy released a video online last December, showing him interacting with the shark , Tarantino. The blog post took a strong position on divers that “appear to forget that they are interacting with wildlife,” however, asserting that these individuals are mistaken about the true nature of the tiger sharks.
“And here we go again. This is, undoubtedly, Tiger Beach. And this is the direct consequence of all those idiots, charlatans, media w****s, whisperers, warriors, men and girls and whathaveyou that claim to be dispelling the myth by suggesting that those large predatory Sharks are completely harmless.
They are not.
They are not puppies that only want to hug, or whatever, but instead dangerous and potentially lethal wildlife. As a minimum, give them the… respect of acknowledging what they are!”
Though divers are able to interact peacefully and safely with the predators at tiger beach, various methods are employed by operators to lure the sharks, some of which are safer than others.
[Image: YouTube/ ROFFS via GrindTV ]
