Shocking video footage has documented the exact moment an experienced diver almost jumped directly into the enormous jaws of a 16ft tiger shark that she claims to have 'known for over 20 years'. Ocean Ramsey, a marine conservationist, has been swimming with the sharks in Hawaii for over two decades but came within a few inches of her death last week for the first time.
The giant beast that charged at her, known as Queen Nikki, had been hiding beneath the ocean surface until Ramsey was about to jump into the water. The astonishing viral footage of the near attack shows the diver lowering herself into the water before she puts her head under the water, the Daily Star reports.
She quickly back tracks, poking her fins out to meet Queen Nikki's razor-sharp teeth as they lunge towards her. Ramsey told NBC'S TODAY : "I love that tiger shark.
''I grew up with that tiger shark, I think we were teenagers at the same time. And so I’ve known her for over 20 years."
The shark lover insists that the close call attack was her own fault as she entered the water too quickly and caused the shark to defensively react. She also strongly reiterates that sharks are not ''monsters'' and that she does want the video to enhance that popular belief.
Ramsey continued: "I saw her and she was close enough, with enough speed, that it looked like she was actually going at maybe my fin tips. I could see her speed and I knew that I needed to back off in that moment."
The calm diver who enters those waters every day as part of her work in shark conservation and research was apparently unperturbed by her near death experience and only took a few seconds to calm herself before diving into the ocean again. Ramsey also takes daring people out with her sometimes to educate them a little more on typical shark behaviour.
The sea creature expert urged people to give sharks the respect that they deserve and went on to share further footage on Instagram of her swimming alongside the seemingly friendly tiger shark after the incident where it appears Queen Nikki is not interested in eating her. Ramsey wrote: "Sharks are not monsters, they are important apex predators who need to be protected from the wasteful and cruel practices of shark finning, shark fishing, and bycatch."
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