Viral Shark In Diving Cage Video Sparks Concerns For Conservationists

The viral video showing a great white shark smashing through a diving cage has prompted concerns for shark enthusiasts.

If you haven't seen the video yet, it's honestly pretty scary.

Shark conservationist Samuel Gruber had a chat with The Guardian about the entire incident.

"The truth, of course, was that the tourist got more than he bargained for, but on balance the shark came out the worse for wear,” he said.

"Clearly it was bleeding from the gills and from an area near the dorsal fin.

“It is also clear to me that the shark was attracted to the cage for purposes of exciting footage.”

In the video you see the shark breaking into a cage, all while a diver is still inside. The guy inside managed to survive, but it certainly was a close call. The footage was shot off the coast of Mexico and the person who filmed the entire scene has since spoken out about what had happened.

"Great White sharks are awesome and what appears to be an 'attack' on a diving cage is not," he said.

Sharks become temporarily blinded when they open their mouths, so the shark in the video slammed into the cage accidentally when it was going for the tuna bait attached to the rope.

Also, fun fact: Sharks can't swim backwards. Hence why it thrust forward through the cage (with a diver inside).

The video has prompted questions into shark cage diving tours, with some raising fears that it's not safe. However, shark enthusiasts - like Gruber - have tried to reassure people that incidents like this are complete rarities.

Photo: YouTube