Daring Marine Mammal Snatches Equipment, Providing Unprecedented Glimpse into Oceanic Predator’s World
Shark Steals Camera, Capturing Amazing Footage From Inside Its Mighty Jaws
Divers hanging out with a school of tiger sharks in the Bahamas had a wild run-in with one particularly curious specimen. A video shared by diver Andrea Ramos Nascimento on Instagram shows a shark gobbling up an Insta360 underwater camera, leading to incredible views from inside the sea creature’s cavernous mouth — before it spits it back up as it reconsiders its choice of prey.
The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is a large predatory fish that inhabits tropical and subtropical waters worldwide.
They are known for their distinctive 'striped pattern' , which fades as they mature.
Tiger sharks can grow up to 16 feet in length and weigh over 1,900 pounds.
Their diet consists of a wide variety of prey, including fish, seals, birds, and even other sharks.
They are apex predators and play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of their ecosystems.
Amazingly, the shark even manages to capture a glimpse of three nearby divers, framed by the inside of its maw. While it seems like the shark had an enviable flair for cinematography, the framing was likely the result of some clever video editing; the Insta360 takes 360-degree videos, allowing editors to reframe the footage as they please after the fact.
‘The tiger sharks of Tiger Beach have a unique hobby: stealing cameras,’ Nascimento wrote in the caption. ‘Shiny objects, lights, and sounds catch their attention, and since they don’t have hands, they explore everything with their mouths.’
Some divers have watched their GoPros disappear into a shark’s mouth, only to see it swim away like it just won a prize,’ Nascimento added. ‘It has been proven that the Insta360 X4 housing is tiger shark bite resistant.’
Nascimento told Storyful that the diving guide had to chase the shark down to retrieve the camera, which was yanked off a shark feeding box.
Diving with tiger sharks is a popular tourist attraction in the Bahamas, allowing those brave enough to get up close and personal. Tiger Beach, which is located 20 miles northwest of the Bahamian town of West End, features crystal-clear waters and a huge variety of marine life, including dolphins, turtles, and hammerhead sharks.
However, getting too close may not be such a good idea. According to National Geographic, tiger sharks are ‘second only to great whites in attacking people.’ They can grow up to 25 feet in length and weigh more than 1,900 pounds.
Yet despite their reputation as ‘man-eaters,’ most interactions with tiger sharks are peaceful, and attacks remain extremely rare — unless you happen to be a high-tech camera, that is.
