THE BRINY SEA About a year ago, The Discovery Channel aired a video as part of Shark Week showing what is believed to be one the biggest great white sharks caught on film.
They lovingly named the nearly 20-foot long female shark Big Blue, tagged her and sent her hulking, battle-scarred body on her way.
Shark expert Mauricio Hoyos was in that video, and Wednesday he posted a new video of Big Blue on Facebook. This time shes right next to a diver, which puts Big Blues massive hulk in terrifying perspective. The shark swims close to the diver who decided it would be best to come out of the cage for inexplicable reasons and comes close enough that the diver reaches out and touches one of the sharks pectoral fins.
According to The Smithsonians Ocean Portal, its not exactly unusual for a great white to reach up to 20 feet long, but females usually top out at about 16 feet. But it doesnt change the fact that Deep Blue is the stuff of nightmares in a Jaws-in-real-life sort of way.
Now, if youre still having a hard time solidifying how big this shark is, she is roughly half the length of a city bus or 2.75 times as long as Shaquille ONeal.
Many on the Internet are calling the diver-fin interaction a high-five, but I am not fooled and will not be lulled into a false sense of friendliness from a 20-foot shark. After all, Im not a character in a 1970s "Saturday Night Live" skit, although I wouldnt mind being Gilda Radner in her heyday.
High-five or no, the sight is still impressive. And terrifying. Terrifyingly impressive. Respect nature, kids.
They lovingly named the nearly 20-foot long female shark Big Blue, tagged her and sent her hulking, battle-scarred body on her way.
Shark expert Mauricio Hoyos was in that video, and Wednesday he posted a new video of Big Blue on Facebook. This time shes right next to a diver, which puts Big Blues massive hulk in terrifying perspective. The shark swims close to the diver who decided it would be best to come out of the cage for inexplicable reasons and comes close enough that the diver reaches out and touches one of the sharks pectoral fins.
According to The Smithsonians Ocean Portal, its not exactly unusual for a great white to reach up to 20 feet long, but females usually top out at about 16 feet. But it doesnt change the fact that Deep Blue is the stuff of nightmares in a Jaws-in-real-life sort of way.
Now, if youre still having a hard time solidifying how big this shark is, she is roughly half the length of a city bus or 2.75 times as long as Shaquille ONeal.
Many on the Internet are calling the diver-fin interaction a high-five, but I am not fooled and will not be lulled into a false sense of friendliness from a 20-foot shark. After all, Im not a character in a 1970s "Saturday Night Live" skit, although I wouldnt mind being Gilda Radner in her heyday.
High-five or no, the sight is still impressive. And terrifying. Terrifyingly impressive. Respect nature, kids.
