WATCH: Divers Swim with Largest Known ‘Great White’ Shark

It’s not Shark Week, I know but our natural fascination with these elusive creatures of the deep goes year round.

Divers off the coast of Hawaii just had the shark experience of a lifetime with what’s believed to be the world’s largest Great White.

 

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By @oceanramsey “What it’s like to lock eyes with a great white as it slowly and directly approaches me is a feeling I’ve been fortunate to experience many times before but how’s the rough toothed dolphin escort too 😱❤️🦈❤️ I can’t say enough about the importance of sharks for healthy marine ecosystems, for the ocean, we need sharks and yet, perhaps because of the negative and inaccurate way they are portrayed in mass media many people do not care that they are being killed at a rate of 70,000,000-100,000,000 every year! What’s worse, they are killed mostly just for #sharkfinsoup or for #sharkfishing as #sharksportfishing I would encourage you to take a look at the above hashtags and see the cruelty and waste and compare it to this reality of peaceful and respectful coexistence. #helpsavesharks #savetheocean I do not encourage people to do this. I’ve been working with sharks for over 15 years, over 30 species including white sharks all around the world. They are #apexpredatornotmonster not puppies…but this was the gentlest grandma great #whiteshark ive ever met ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Deepest gratitude for my team and the incredible shot I will cherish forever @camgrantphotography Freediving this morning with @oneoceandiving #oneoceanohana @juansharks ❤️ @mermaid_kayleigh 💙 @forrest.in.focus 🌅🦈 @oneoceanhawaii @waterinspired @oneoceanconservation @oneoceaneducation @oneoceanglobal @travelcoffeeandsharks @discoversharks Fins @cressi1946 #tigersharkwetsuit by @xcelwetsuits 💙🦈💙 #greatwhitehawaii #divewithsharks #greatwhitesharks #oceanramsey #oneoceandiving #ocean #sharks #instagram #instagood #today #amazing #beautiful #madeofocean #teamoneocean “

A post shared by Ocean Ramsey #OceanRamsey (@oceanramsey) on Jan 16, 2019 at 1:51am PST

At 20 feet long, one diver was bold enough to even reach out and touch her as she swam past.

 

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I waited quietly, patiently, observing as she swam up to the dead sperm whale carcass and then slowly to me passing close enough I gently put my hand out to maintain a small space so her girth could pass. I know some people criticize touch but what some don’t realize is that sometimes sharks seek touch, she swam away escorted by two rough-toothed dolphins who danced around her over to one of my @oneoceandiving shark research vessels and proceeded to use it as a scratching post, passing up feeding for another need. I wish more people would have a connection with sharks and the natural world, because then they would understand that it’s not petting sharks or pushing them off to maintain a respectable space that is hurting sharks (because trust me if she didn’t like being pet she can handle and communicate 🦈) it’s the wasteful and cruel practice of grabbing and catching sharks to cut off their fins (which slowly kills them) for #sharkfinsoup in a process called #sharkfinning or the wasteful #sharkfishing or #sharksportfishing If it bothers you that I touched the shark please click on one of the hashtags above and leave them a negative comment first 😉 #HelpSaveSharks #SpreadAwareness #FinBanNow #bansharkfinning #Sharkfin Vid shot on my @gopro #gopro3000 #goproforacause out with @oneoceandiving with @juansharks ❤️ @mermaid_kayleigh 💙 @camgrantphotography ❤️ @forrest.in.focus 💙 @oneoceanresearch @oneoceanglobal @waterinspired @oneoceansharks @oneoceanhawaii @oneoceaneducation #savetheocean #sharktouch #touchingsharks #oneoceanteam #discoversharks #discoverocean #greatwhitesharkinhawaii #freedivingwithsharks #whitesharkhawaii #deadwhalehawaii #dolphinsandsharks #🤙🏽 #Hawaii #sharka 🤙🏽🦈

A post shared by Ocean Ramsey #OceanRamsey (@oceanramsey) on Jan 16, 2019 at 4:56pm PST

Known as, “Deep Blue” this team of shark researchers believe that she’s pregnant which is vital to the survival of this incredible species.

So a pregnant shark is obviously going to give birth to….. BABY SHARKS!