Great White Shark Gives Photographer A Surprise Scare

British photographer David Caravias was in Cape Town, South Africa, "playing" with a great white by dangling a piece of fish over the edge of his boat. The sea creature soon decided the games were over and disappeared into the water. Seconds later, the predator burst out of the water in Caravias's direction, mouth wide open.

“It came out of nowhere at a real pace and completely caught us off guard," Caravias told The Sun. “The shark must have come only an inch from us, and I was convinced we were goners."

Caravias left the U.K. to pursue his dream of diving with sharks. For this exciting excursion he joined a dive team on a 30-foot boat. Over the course of the outing the group spotted more than five 16-foot great whites, including this jumper.

The photographer says he has no hard feelings following the quick and scary encounter. He believes that it was his game that provoked the animal, and he understands that the shark was just responding. 

“This was a complete freak incident, but it definitely puts you in your place. It shows you cannot get complacent with the sharks," the photographer shared with The Sun. “Nevertheless, I love to photograph great whites. You just have to work out their behavior and movements.”