By Mark McConville
STUNNING pictures have captured the moment a huge Great White shark came within inches of a photographer’s hand as he tried to get the best shot.
The incredible images show the curious 16-foot-long predator emerging from the water and swimming over to check out the photographer’s camera which he was dangling in the water.
Other striking shots show the fearsome 3000lb beast show its razor-sharp teeth as it bites onto the corner of a metal cage.
The remarkable incident was caught on camera at Neptune Islands, Australia by commercial abalone diver Luke Thom (26), from Margaret River, Australia.
“I was watching Andrew Fox taking these incredible photos of Great White sharks so I thought I’d try to get a shot of him getting his photo because of how close he gets to them with the fish-eye camera,” he said.
“Holy s*** is probably the most common reaction. I see a story and a moment in the photo. It’s not like watching a video. You can look at a photo and imagine what is going on.
“These sharks are pretty incredible animals and they need protection and minimal human impact.”
The Neptunes comprise two pairs of islands known as the North and South Neptunes. Male Great Whites, up to 16-foot-long, inhabit the islands all year round.
The seal pups are born in summer (December to January), but don’t start entering the ocean until winter (April to August). That’s when the giant female Great Whites, up to 19-foot-long, come to the Neptunes.
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