Sharks not only lurk in your nightmares, but some people have also had terrifying close calls with them that you wouldn’t believe if they weren’t caught on video.
Number 5: The Honeymooner’s Dive
It’s the spring of 2013, and Roger Gray is celebrating his recent marriage by being submerged in a shark cage when things got out of hand. A hungry great white approached and pounced on a piece of bait. The huge animal missed its target and forced itself between the steel bars Roger was standing behind, its mouth coming within inches of him. The people on the boat could only hear the shark fighting, but no one could get a clear view of exactly what was happening. Unbelievably, Roger managed to dive under the shark’s mouth when he saw it coming, and swam away as its killer teeth were desperately looking for his flesh. Fortunately, he lived to tell the tale.
Number 4: The Raging Bull
In Florida, four fishermen in canoes hooked a huge bull shark. When one of them tried to reel it in, the furious beast charged with all its might. The group did the best they could to protect themselves out in open waters. They pulled their two canoes together, giving them more stability and appearing as a bigger contender to the world’s most aggressive shark species. Seconds later, it came back for more, and this happened. One of the fishermen lost his balance and dipped into the water. Once again, sticking together saved this group from the wrath of the furious shark.
Number 3: Too Tough to Die
Aussies are tough, but world champion surfer Mick Fanning is on another level. In 2015, while participating in the J-Bay Open in South Africa, he felt something grab his leg. He tried to pull himself away, but immediately felt like he was being dragged underwater. It was a huge great white shark that wanted to eat him whole. Mick disappeared from the surface. The crowd went silent as the waves obscured their view of the potential disaster. Fanning was fighting for his life, waiting for the animal’s teeth to dig into his skin. In what felt like forever to him, those teeth cut through Mick’s board rope as he defended himself by kicking and punching wildly. After agonizing seconds, the beast retreated. Mick was able to launch himself back to the surface and swim toward nearby rescue vessels.’
Number 2: Not an Easy Meal
In this terrifying video, Johnny Pestana can be seen spearfishing in Hawaii when he spotted an unexpected visitor. A huge tiger shark was circling him, curious and clearly hungry, perhaps attracted by Johnny’s bait. He lost sight of the shark for a few seconds, so he took the opportunity to catch his breath. But almost immediately, the predator started approaching again. Cleverly, Johnny pulled more bait from his kayak to distract the shark while also taking a quick moment to grab the plastic bag. Well done, buddy. Before long, the shark was back, looking for a more substantial meal. This time, Johnny was determined to fight. Being a lover of marine life, the fisherman used the back of his spear to fend off the shark, avoiding hurting it. Not getting the hint, it kept coming back again and again. After several tense minutes, the shark realized that Johnny was not the easy meal it was hoping for and swam off.
Number 1: Never Look Back
Johan Potgieter was on a spearfishing trip off the coast of South Africa in 2017. The water was a bit cloudy, but there were some fish. As he prepped his spear gun, the chaos began. A great white shark was stalking him in the murky depths, no doubt thinking it had found itself some breakfast. Johan started swimming backward desperately, following a basic survival rule you should always respect when facing a shark. Never turn your back on it, or thrash about. Always keep the shark in sight. Unfortunately, when he emerged to the surface to alert his companions, he got distracted and when he looked down again it was too late. The great white shark was right below him. He plucked up his courage and took his last chance, aiming for the boat while the huge shark still craved his flesh. Finally, he made it to the boat in one piece and with a great story to tell.
