Monday, January 07, 2008

Hello Beautiful! Kiwi Snaps Great White Up-Close

We're not sure if this guy has a beautiful love for these creatures, or a death wish. But one thing is for sure: he snapped one heck of a picture!

(click image to enlarge --->)

They are the ultimate oceanic killing machines, but the presence of a great white shark did not stop a New Zealander from having his mates dangle him in the sea so he could photograph the predator close-up.

In what must qualify either as an act of supreme bravery or extreme folly, Gary Porter, a builder, asked friends to hold him by the ankles and dunk him over the sides of a small boat so that he could snap the 13ft-long shark.

The group were on a diving expedition off Kapiti Island, near Wellington, at the time.

The shark passed close enough for the men to touch its dorsal fin and its apparent lack of interest in fish the men threw into the water encouraged Mr Porter to dip his arm in the sea to take underwater photos with a digital camera.

The extraordinary pictures show a powerful, barrel-shaped great white heading straight towards him from a distance of just a few feet.

"I just wanted to get some photos of this amazing creature," he told Radio New Zealand.

"I've got a few regrets about not hopping in with it and having a good swim with it."




No comments: