In one of the most terrifying moments captured of attacking sharks, a 32-year-old photographer shot footage of the massive fish attacking his underwater shark-cage off Neptune Islands, in South Australia.
“She was a female and around 3.5 meters [11.4 feet]. It came in around 2 meters [6.5 feet] from the cage and then one time charged us for this shot and ended up turning off around 2 feet from my camera,” Overall told Magnus News Agency.
The Neptune Islands are home to great white sharks and are becoming increasingly famous with tourists for their shark adventures and expeditions.
“I knew it was going to be a pretty wild shot but maybe too close as I was shooting 50mm. When I got up on the boat everyone crowded around the camera in the housing for a quick look and we were all blown away,” he said.
Two months ago another Australian photographer came within inches of being devoured by a 16-foot great white shark but managed to capture some of the scariest, close-up pictures of the fish yet.
The incredible shots include the fearsome beast biting into a metal cage with its razor-sharp teeth and others where the photographer’s dangling camera and arm are just inches away from the shark’s glistening, sharp jaws.
The scary pictures were taken when the 298-pound beast became interested and curious about photographic equipment dangling in the water, emerged out of the water, and started to swim toward it.
“I was watching Andrew Fox taking these incredible photos of great white sharks so I thought I’d try to get a shot of him getting his photo because of how close he gets to them with the fish-eye camera,” Thom told News.com.au.
“Holy [expletive] is probably the most common reaction. I see a story and a moment in the photo. It’s not like watching a video. You can look at a photo and imagine what is going on.
These sharks are pretty incredible animals and they need protection and minimal human impact,” he said.
The North and South Neptunes, two islands that make up the Neptunes are home to male great whites, 16-foot sharks that live here throughout the year.
Seal pups are born here between December to January, but enter the ocean only between April to August. That’s when giant female great whites that can measure up to 19 feet enter the area. Sharks feed on seals.
Shark Attacks
The risk involved in what Thom managed to capture can be gauged by the number and nature of shark attacks that happen off the Australian coast.On Feb. 17, a shark attacked a surfer at Australia’s Byron Bay, the third at the scene this year.
