Scary moment dog jumps into ocean with shark in front of screaming tourists
They may be man’s best friend, but sometimes they’re not the smartest creature in the animal kingdom.
Tourists in a resort retreat in the Bahamas were left shocked after a local dog jumped into the water to swim with a large hammerhead shark that was loitering near a jetty as holiday-makers watched on.
As the shark made its way along the shoreline, the dog could be seen running alongside it. The eager pooch then dives into the water as tourists can be heard screaming from a nearby boat.
In a video circulating on social media, tourists on the four-hour boat excursion can be heard shouting and pleading with the dog to turn back.
“Oh my god!” and “Get out baby!” can be heard from the group of concerned onlookers as another person yells; “Stop going after it!”.
As the four-legged animal doggy paddles in the direction of the shark, the large hammerhead circles but doesn’t appear too fussed by his newfound ocean companion.
The dog, however, appeared eager to interact. “He’s biting the f***ing shark,” one bystander can be heard yelling.
The incident, which has been watched millions of times on TikTok, took place near a private island in the southern Bahamas, the Associated Press reported, in waters renowned for the Bahamian swimming pigs. In a separate video, a tourist can be heard asking one of the boat staff how big the "huge" shark was, to which he guessed "about 12 feet".
The more than three-metre shark emerged from under the boat during a tour on Wednesday (local time) organised by Exuma Water Sports.
Company reservations manager Rebecca Lightbourn told AP on Friday that the black-and-tan dog always runs along the shore to greet the boat when it passes that island. But it’s the first time it was seen diving in.
“I guess this time the dog decided he wanted to protect his house or play with a really big fish in the water, so he went after it,” he said.
When the shark swam away from the pier, the dog scrambled back onto the rocks and loped away, earning applause from the momentarily startled tourists.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
