Spearfisherman comes face-to-face with great white shark, video stuns all online

“At first, I thought it was awesome,” Scherrer told The Virginian-Pilot. “It’s a pretty unique experience just to see one, but as it started going towards me it wasn’t so cool anymore.” Scherrer, who began spearfishing since his high school days turned his hobby into a profession, according to the report.

Working as diver for the Virginia Beach Seafood Company, a local business that catches and delivers fresh fish to the the Virginia Beach oceanfront community, said it’s not usual for sharks to swim up to diver. And while this seem pretty calm, some species are quite aggressive and his close encounter could have an dramatic ending.

“Two things going through my mind as it came at me. 1. Hold your ground/don’t panic. 2. Where do I stab this thing,” the experienced driver wrote on Facebook. And even though he seemed unfazed in the video, the clip ending with with him huffing in the water and coming out for breathe and leaving a sigh of relief.

According to The National Geographic, “While the shark in Jaws was inspired by a great white shark in New Jersey, the legendary fish is far less fearsome in reality.”

Underlining that most of the known shark attacks are not fatal, they added that the largest predatory fish on Earth, are naturally curious, often “sample bite” then release their human target. “It’s not a terribly comforting distinction, but it does indicate that humans are not actually on the great white’s menu.”