These terrifying pictures show the moment a photographer was circled by a hungry shark – for two hours.
Brave Sam Cahir refused to panic during the real-life Jaws scenario – getting in the water with his camera to capture these incredible shots.
Australian Sam had been taking part in a Great White tagging trip when he found himself face-to-face with the deadly predator off the Neptune Islands, South Australia.
Tough customer: This bad-tempered shortfin Mako shark circled a photographer’s boat for two hours and only left after filling up on bait which was thrown into the water
The Shortfin Mako shark – which have been known to attack humans eventually left after eating tuna baits thrown into the water.
Sam said: ‘The Mako made some menacing passes. On a number of occasions she almost swallowed the camera whole, allowing me to shoot straight down her maw.
‘It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I feel humbled to have witnessed such a display of nature’s quirkiness.’
Sam was taking part in work carried out by the Fox Shark Research Foundation, which was set up by Andrew Fox, the son of famous shark attack victim Rodney Fox, in notorious shark infested waters.
Predator: Sam Cahir had been taking part in a tagging trip in the Indian Ocean when he found himself face-to-face with the vicious fish
Brave: As the Mako circles the boat relentlessly, Sam Cahir slowly edges his way into the water to get some pictures
Punching above her weight: The pugnacious Mako refused to be intimidated by the much larger Great White Sharks like the one seen in the background and was even seen butting them out the way
Snappy temper: The Shortfin Mako shark – which have been known to attack humans – eventually left after eating tuna baits thrown into the water
Sam said: ‘When I saw the shark I couldn’t get in the water fast enough to get some pictures.
‘I couldn’t believe what I was seeing up close. This Mako was audacious, bordering manic.
‘At one point I had a Great White and a Mako circling for the tuna bait. The Mako literally browbeat away a Great White and not just any Great White Shark but a very large dominant male maybe six times her mass and twice her size – it was amazing.
‘Once the Great White left, the Mako decided I was the next threat to her free meal. She circled me for around two hours making intimidatingly close passes.’
The Mako pokes its fin out of the water as it circles Sam Cahir’s boat in the Indian Ocean off Australia’s Neptune Islands
Tough nut: The Mako shark bore battle scars from its previous encounters
But incredibly, despite the fear factor, Sam believes sharks need MORE protecting.
He added: “An estimated 80 million sharks a year are killed for fins – it is a sad reality.
‘Without protection from organisations like the Fox Shark Research Foundation these encounters will only become more unlikely.
‘It is very possible that without our intervention my son and his generation may never see these stunning animals in their natural habitat and that would be a huge injustice.’
In June 2010 Britain’s top shark-hunter Frank Vinnicombe told how a 13ft man-eater tore through his mackerel catch.
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