Count your fingers: Teasing a great white isn’t the sharpest move
Some intrepid divers came up with an underwater, daredevil version of a petting zoo – when they reach out to pat a great white shark.
They decided that merely being in the water with the fearsome predator wasn’t thrilling enough – so they decided to coax it towards them with a hunk of bait.
The pictures, taken by Dmitry Vasyanovich, 47, from Moscow, Russia, show the divers reeling the ocean monster in towards them.
If that wasn’t bold enough, they then chanced their arms by reaching out of the cage and attempting to tap it on the snout.
DMITRY VASYANOVICH/CATERS NEWS
Lured: The terrifying creature is reeled in towards the divers’ cage
DMITRY VASYANOVICH/CATERS NEWS
Dinner time: The beast opens its jaws near the outstretched hand
That’s a risky move when you consider that the species – which does not deliberately target humans in the water – has killed more than 130 deaths over the past 25 years.
DMITRY VASYANOVICH/CATERS NEWS
Spectacular: The shark swims towards the photographer
DMITRY VASYANOVICH/CATERS NEWS
Fascinating: The powerful creatures are a popular tourist draw
The perilous incident took place off the coast of Mexico’s Guadalupe Island, a popular spot for diving with sharks.