Great white shark video shows that 'sharks don't eat people for a living', expert says

December 12, 2017

A shark expert says the video of a great white coming up behind a diver actually shows "how good sharks are at not eating people".

The clip was posted online showing a large great white shark brushing past a salvage diver who is seemingly unaware of its presence.

Shark biologist Riley Elliot, speaking this morning to TVNZ 1's Breakfast, said the clip illustrates "the realistic behaviour of a very intelligent apex predator".

"It's identified this foreign man in its hunting environment, blowing bubbles and scaring away any seals that are potential prey for it, and it's come in and nudged him and said 'hey buddy, this isn't your place, get out of here' - it hasn't gone in and bit the guy's head off straight away," Mr Elliot said.

"It's reflective how intelligent, how calculated and how sharks don't eat people for a living, otherwise he would not be here - it reflects how good sharks are at not eating people."

Asked whether Kiwis should be worried about an influx of sharks this summer, he said no, and that "they are there every day of the week".

"We just have to know how to coexist with them, and that comes from understanding their behaviour," he said.

The video of the great white was posted to the SA Spearfishing Facebook page overnight, saying the diver was looking for salvage and that the video was taken by his son.

It is unclear when or where the footage was recorded and it has since been removed from the page.

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