Back in 2014, a great white shark off the coast of Meixco known as Deep Blue was purported to be one of the largest of its kind to be filmed and photographed. Now that very same 20-foot-long shark has appeared off the coast of Hawaii, introducing herself to a number of divers as they moved a decomposing whale away from the shoreline.
However, instead of diving next to the shark in a cage, marine biologist and shark activist Ocean Ramsey decided to freedive next to the gigantic shark. In a series of videos she posted to her Instagram account, Ramsey can be seen getting remarkably close to the mild-mannered shark as she inspected the whale carcass that was being towed into deeper waters.
Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources had to move the whale carcass from the shore after people began removing its teeth for ivory and started climbing around on its body. Naturally, sharks nearby immediately paid interest to the carcass as it was towed out. "We saw a few tigers and then she came up and all the other sharks split, and she started brushing up against the boat," Ramsey said of Deep Blue in a conversation with Star Advertiser.
"She was just this big beautiful gentle giant wanting to use our boat as a scratching post," she continued. "We went out at sunrise, and she stayed with us pretty much throughout the day." Ramsey added that she believed Deep Blue was pregnant, stating that the shark was "shockingly wide." She even managed to get close enough to touch Deep Blue, posting a video of her doing so on Instagram.
Understandably, state officials have warned people to stay away from the carcass and the sharks in the area. "We're asking people to stay out of the water around this carcass," chief of the state's Division of Conversation and Resources Enforcement Jason Redulla explained. "We don't want anyone to get hurt if a shark swimming around the carcass mistakes them as food."
Check out some stunning photos and videos of the shark above.
