Nov. 2 (UPI) — A marine conservationist preparing to get into the water was caught on camera nearly jumping into the mouth of a curious shark.
The video, captured by Juan Oliphant, shows marine biologist Ocean Ramsey preparing to jump off a boat when a tiger shark swims up to the ladder and shows its teeth right where the diver would have hit the water.
The video shows Ramsey laugh and greet the shark, which she said is named Queen Nikki.
“I love that tiger shark,” Ramsey told NBC’s Today. “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.”
She said Nikki was apparently reacting to her approaching the water too fast.
“I saw her and she was she was close enough, with enough speed, that it looked like she was actually going at maybe my fin tips,” Ramsey said.
“There [were] a bunch of little schooling fish under, so I could see her speed and I knew that I needed to back off in that moment.”
Ramsey said the video should be seen as an educational experience.
“They are wild animals,” Ramsey said of sharks. “They are apex predators, but they’re not monsters. And that’s what I want to make sure it doesn’t come across.”
