This great white got a little too close for comfort!
Our planet's oceans are amazing and are filled with a plethora of fascinating sea life. However, none strikes fear into the hearts of humans quite like the great white shark. Ever since the movie Jaws was a huge hit in theaters in the 70s, plenty of people have been totally afraid of the water. Although this bad reputation isn't exactly fair, That's mostly because we now know that great whites, and many other species of shark, usually do not target humans for food.
In fact, you're more likely to get struck by lightning, or end up in a car accident.
Still, there's something primal about sharks that strikes fear into most of us. It's probably a remanent of some primitive survival instincts that were ingrained into us by our ancestors. Whatever the reasoning for it, videos like the one we are sharing with you today are enough to make our heart skip a beat and our blood to run cold.
This footage from YouTuber Dinner Stix Spearfishing is arguably more terrifying than any Jaws sequel, mostly because it's real. This big shark looks like it is going to swim past the fisherman until it suddenly turns and starts swimming right at him!
We don't care who you are or how long you've been swimming or fishing in the ocean, that shark's turn towards the camera is enough to make anyone nervous! If you want to talk about true pants-soiling moments in life, this would likely be one of them. The video's description simply states: "This one got my heart racing!"
The good news is that this shark was clearly only curious about the spear fisherman. Once it got a better look, it realized the fisherman wasn't food and went on its way. This is the way most underwater human and shark encounters usually go. Had the shark gotten any closer, it's likely the angler could have scared it away with a shot from the spear gun. Most sharks will cease their attacks on humans if the victim fights back. Fortunately, that wasn't necessary in this case.
Amazingly, the YouTuber had a second encounter with an even larger shark just a few weeks later.
We're not sure about you, but we probably would not be heading back to this spot for a few months after two encounter like this!
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Instagram For original videos, check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
READ MORE: HOW BIG GREAT WHITE SHARKS CAN GET, PLUS 5 OTHER FASCINATING SHARK FACTS
