Man held by ankles to snap shark

2008-01-07 14:52

Wellington - A New Zealand man risked life and limb by dangling upside-down in the sea to take close-up pictures of a circling Great White shark, reports said on Monday.

Builder Gary Porter asked friends to hold him by the ankles from their small boat as he dunked his upper body in the water to snap the four-metre predator less than two metres away.

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

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

Porter was on a diving expedition with three friends near Kapiti Island, near Wellington, on Saturday when they first spotted the huge shark as they were about to enter the water.

The shark circled their 6.5 metre boat continuously, apparently attracted by the outboard motor.

"He'd go around the back of the boat and then circle it, and come right up to the side of the boat. You could touch him if you wanted to," Porter said.

Emboldened by the shark's apparent lack of aggression, Porter dipped his arm in the sea to take underwater photos with a waterproof digital camera, but could not get a good shot.

So his friends grabbed him by the ankles as he dunked the top of his body in the water to get the shots he wanted.

The shark was less than two metres away as Porter snapped away, and luckily there was no snapping back by the Great White.

"We threw him a fish but he wasn't really interested in it, he was a pretty docile shark," he said.

- AFP