There have been 2,785 confirmed shark attacks across the world between 1958 and 2016, according to International Shark Attack File (ISAF), but that did not deter this deep diver from playfully interacting with a shark in a viral video.
The footage, posted on SDM diving's Instagram page, shows a swimmer grabbing the jaws of a 700lb (317.5 kg) tiger shark and helping the sea creature complete a 360-degree roll. It has to be noted that tiger sharks are one of the most dangerous shark species.
He first lured the creature with a box and then guided it to swim higher from the ocean bed. With his two bare hands, he is seen holding the shark's gaping mouth and coaxing it to take a roll. Surprisingly, the humungous creature followed his lead and completed the turn before swimming away.
Along with the video, SDM also posted an explanatory caption. Check it out here:
"I have always been asked how I get them to roll...the reality is I don't do a thing...the Tigers do it all on their own. There is no way I can force a 700 plus pound tiger shark to roll. What I do is feel when the Tigers feel like rolling, then we just sort of dance and dive together."
SDM diving, which is run by Eli Martinez and his wife Maritza, has been organizing small group wildlife expedition for 15 years. They specialize in sharks and other big animals and, according to their website, they aim at giving the "experience of a lifetime".
The video, which has garnered more than 10k views, has got the internet talking. While some congratulated them for the amazing work, others were concerned about their safety.
A user called andycorbe wrote: "Just wondering, do you have another safety diver watching your back while your focus is on the one shark?", to which sdmdiving replied: "we do...there is always two of us, helping to watch the guests and each other's backs. Plus I only play with tigers like this when I know exactly where all the Tigers are."
Check out the video here:
