Imagine you are diving off the coast of the Bahamas surrounded by corals, schools of colorful fish, and suddenly, a 15 foot tiger shark appears.
Diver Bryan Leist caught this exact moment on camera while swimming 20 miles off the shores of the West End Grand Bahama.
"It [was] humbling, awe-inspiring, empowering and exhilarating all at once," Leist told Newsweek. "Prior to getting in the water there's always an excited level of nervous anticipation but once I'm in the water that nervousness dissipates. They really are misunderstood creatures."
Leist shared the striking image to his Instagram page, @undertheh2o.
Leist is a seasoned professional and knows how to safely swim with these impressive animals.
"The very first time I was in the water with sharks I instantly realized I was not on the menu and I had nothing to fear," he said. "That is not to say I don't have respect for these animals. They are apex predators near the top of the [food] chain and they deserve our respect, but we ought not fear them."
Sharks play an important role in maintaining healthy ocean ecosystems. "Sharks are the oceans' cleaners often feeding on dead or dying animals," Leist said. "Unfortunately, media such as motion pictures and other sensational entertainment portray these animals as blood-thirsty killers intent on killing anything that enters their domain. Nothing could be further from the truth. "[Plus,] the use of long lines in commercial fishing, the active shark fin trade and senseless killings that take place out of fear have decimated shark populations globally."
However, this kind of fishing has been banned in the Bahamas for over 20 years, meaning that it is one of the few places in the world where shark populations are still thriving. "The Bahamas established itself as a shark sanctuary in 2011 and is the only country who's sanctuary includes the country's entire exclusive economic zone," Leist added. "They treat it very seriously. Heavy fines are imposed if illegal fishing activities are discovered."
The sharks were seen at a spot called Tiger Beach. "It's not really a beach, but a known area where tigers congregate," Leist said. "The shark's name is Emma and she's probably the most well-known tiger shark at Tiger Beach and has been for over 20 years."
He continued: "Emma has seen humans many times so there's less of a sense of trepidation than what would normally exist with a shark seeing a human for the first time. Sharks experiencing humans for the first time in that situation tend to stay on the periphery of the area until comfortable."
While shark bites are extremely rare, tiger sharks have been implicated in more unprovoked shark attacks than any other shark species other than the great white, according to the Florida Museum's Shark File. Therefore, it is important to be extremely cautious when swimming with these apex predators.
"The first rule of diving with sharks is to maintain eye contact with the animal always," Leist said. "Tiger sharks are ambush hunters and a favorite trick of theirs it to approach, pass by you, and if your eyes are not following as they pass they will circle back to come in for a closer look.
"Another important rule is don't act like food. The senses sharks use to hunt include sight, smell and vibration. A distressed fish, on the end of an angler's line for example, will flip and flop sending vibrations through the water as well as electrical impulses from contracting muscles. These are some of the strongest signals a shark can receive and they will naturally be drawn in to investigate. If a human is waving their arms wildly, splashing or kicking excitedly then they're mimicking prey. It's often this confusion that results in unwanted shark/human encounters. In addition to maintaining eye contact, the key to safely diving with sharks are subdued, controlled movements that don't mimic prey."
