Great white shark calmly swims by snorkeller off Great Barrier Reef

Photographer Adrian Bullock was snorkelling off Lady Elliot Island, near Bundaberg, Queensland when this 4+ metre great white shark came into his view. Bullock realised he was 40 metres from the boat that took him to the dive spot, and remained still long enough to see the large shark was either well-fed or pregnant as it drew closer towards him. The photographer remained calm during the encounter, with the close swim-by only the second great white sighting off the island in 25 years.

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This was the moment my leisurely snorkelling trip turned into one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. As the 4+ metre great white closed in on me, my emotions were running wild. With about 40 metres between me and the boat I did the only thing I believe I should have done, and that was to never take my eyes off this beautiful creature. With adrenaline pulsating through my body, I managed to have the clarity to take a few deep breaths, slow my heart rate down, and film / photograph my experience. With the shark only metres away from me I recognised its extremely large girth, believing it to be very well fed or even pregnant, and for some reason this made me a little more relaxed. This was only the second recorded sighting @ladyelliotislandecoresort in 25 years, so I feel exceptionally privileged to have been in the water with this amazing animal @ladyelliotislandecoresort . . Shot with @aquatech_imagingsolutions @canonaustralia . . @sharkweek #whiteshark #ladyelliottisland #canonaustralia #aquatech_imagingsolutions #australia #wildark #ocean #sea #oceanlife #discoversharks #discoverocean #sharkweek #ausgeo #natgeo #natgeowild #whiteshark
A post shared by A D R I A N B U L L O C K (@adrianbullockphotography) on Aug 9, 2020 at 4:50pm PDT