A diver was lucky to escape with his head still intact after a close encounter with a huge great white shark. Details of the footage are vague, but the video shows a diver collecting abalones – a deep sea mollusc – when the shark appears out of nowhere. As the diver has his back turned, the shark, which is at least twice the size of the man, brushes against his head.
As the shark moves past, its jaws slowly open as if it is readying for an attack.
Thankfully, the shark moves slightly upwards through the water, but the terrified diver can feel the shark’s belly scrape against the top of his head.
The footage was uploaded to YouTube channel YOUTUBE RANDOM, with the caption: “Abalone diver lucky to escape death from a great white shark attack that nearly bites his head.”
Despite numerous headlines of shark attacks on humans, we are not their favourite food.
In fact, most shark attacks on humans are accidental, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Humans are not part of a shark’s natural diet, and most encounters come down to a matter of curiosity on the ocean beast’s behalf.
The NOAA said: “Sharks have been known to attack humans when they are confused or curious.
“If a shark sees a human splashing in the water, it may try to investigate, leading to an accidental attack.
“Still, sharks have more to fear from humans than we do of them.
“Humans hunt sharks for their meat, internal organs, skin, and fins in order to make products such as shark fin soup, lubricants, and leather.”
However, shark attacks on humans have reached a record high this year – and climate change may be to blame.
In 2020, there have been eight fatal shark attacks across the coast of Australia – a sharp increase on the one per average annually.
In the past 40 years, the ocean has warmed by 0.09 to 0.13 degrees Celsius per decade.
While this may seem like an insignificant rise, any temperature change has an impact on the delicate ecosystem of the waters.
For example, in Australia, coral reefs have been dying, which has forced smaller ocean critters inland into warmer waters.
And where small pray goes, big sharks are likely to follow. This naturally leads to more encounters with humans and ultimately more fatal shark attacks.
