Tiger Shark Circles Diver - Instead Of Swimming Away, He Holds Out His Hand

Dec 12, 2018

Sharks have a bad reputation. Ever since Jaws came out, everyone thinks of them as terrifying monsters from the deep.

What we fail to notice is how unique they are. Did you know that there are over 500 species? Or that they can be as little as 6 inches...or as big as 40+ feet? Surely such fantastic animals can't be all bad.

The great white shark is probably the most well-known (and most-feared) of the shark species. That means that tiger sharks get overlooked, even though they're equally incredible. They can be up to 16 1/2 feet long and are pretty much omnivores. That even includes eating other sharks! Tiger sharks can even have a taste for humans. They have the most recorded human attacks after great whites.

That's why it's not such a good idea to just go up and say hello. However, one diver completely ignored this advice. An aerial video shows him swimming up to a tiger shark. The encounter took place off the French Polynesia island of Moorea. Instead of avoiding the shark altogether, this diver actually reached out his hand to try and pet the shark.

The most incredible part of the video is what happens next. We were expecting a pretty unpleasant ending. Yet the shark evidently wasn't in the mood. It allowed the diver to stroke it without swimming away. This was a touching moment between man and beast. Who would have thought?

Would you be so brave? What would you have done? Let us know - and feel free to pass this along to your friends!