A terrifying video has captured the moment a British diver was just inches away from death after a great white shark smashed through his cage.
Jimi Partington was floating inside a shark cage in the Pacific Ocean when the giant predator, which can weigh up to 3400kg, took a keen interest in the diver.
The ocean can be an incredibly dangerous place and seemingly Jaws wasn't enough to put people off the prospect of encountering deadly sharks, with very few living to tell the tale if they are unfortunate enough to come across one by accident.
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That is, of course, unless you have two giant whales there to protect you, as one man in Mauritius recently found out.
Deep sea scientists are always finding out more and more about some of the Earth's most threatening creatures, but the great white shark is probably one of the most well-known in the world, thanks to it's starring role in Steven Spielberg's classic film.
It was only last year when a British woman was attacked by a shark in the first recorded attack in over 175 years, so while you might think you're completely safe over here, that's not always the reality and why it's never a good idea to stray too far from the shore.
If you ask me, it's also not a good idea to float in a flimsy cage in the hope that it can stop one of the biggest predators in the ocean, but that's exactly the situation Partington found himself in.
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He certainly didn't panic despite the shark bumping the cage a few times prior but when it smashed through, the diver was left with little option but to try and swim away as fast as possible.
The terrifying footage was captured for a film called Great White Open Ocean, and was posted online as part of Discovery's Shark Week back in 2023. Now, you would probably guess that the footage wouldn't have been shared if Partington didn't escape, and you'd be absolutely right.
The diver later manages to use his swift swimming skills to get back to the supposed 'safety' of the boat, but given how easily the shark smashed through what I assume is very strong glass, I wouldn't be that confident of my own safety on a boat.
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The film's director and producer Jeff Kurr said: "Great White Open Ocean is a film that follows the story of a friend of mine, an expert shark diver named Jimi Partington. He actually survived being hit from below by a 16-foot Great White.
"We were able to capture this encounter on film, and it's probably the most spectacular sequence in Shark Week history.
"It's also miraculous, because when Jimi was hit by the shark, he didn't get a scratch on him. He actually had to swim for his life back to the boat, but he was fine."
Partington also shared the footage, which was filmed in 2021, on his Instagram page, which to be fair is a cool flex from him.
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He wrote: "It's been three years in the making and I can't wait for you all to see my incredible journey, including the closest I've ever been to a Great White Shark!"
Topics: Sharks
James Moorhouse