Jaws-ome encounter: Hungry 15ft shark rips into a sailfish head just feet away from scuba divers
A group of divers had a close encounter with a hungry 15ft shark as it chomped on a huge fish head just a few feet away from them.
Captain Mohamed Shamoon Ameen was off the coast of the Maldives in a harbour called Fuvahmulah, when he captured the stunning footage.
The video that was recently shared on social media, shows a female tiger shark munching down on the sailfish head surrounded by shoals of other, smaller fish.
In a bid to give his customers a front-row experience on their dives, Mr Ameen has tried various different fish to get the sharks’ attention and found that sailfish heads get the best result.
Mr Ameen, who has been diving for more than 22 years, said, ‘I believe the sailfish are the tiger sharks’ favourites, or at the very least this one seen in the video.
‘The shark is called Sara and she’s a part of about 20 sharks in the area who also have names.’
The female tiger shark was captured devouring a sailfish off the coast of the Maldives in a harbour called Fuvahmulah
The hungry 15ft shark was just a few feet away from the stunned divers
The divers watched as the shark shook the sailfish head from side to side as it tucked in
Tiger sharks are named for the dark, vertical stripes that are mainly found on juvenile sharks.
They are common in tropical and sub-tropical waters throughout the world.
They can grow to as much as 20 to 25 feet in length and weigh more than 1,900 pounds.
Although they have a reputation as man-eaters, they are second only to great whites in frequency of attacks on people.
They are less likely to let go after biting a human as their palates are almost completely undiscerning.
Scavengers by nature, tiger sharks have an almost limitless menu of food including fish, seals, birds and dolphins
They have sharp, teeth and powerful jaws that allow them to crack the shells on sea turtles and clams.
They are listed as near-threatened.