Scary moment shark 'smells' scuba diver: 'Her eyes change'
A shark has been caught on video the moment it appears to "smell" a nearby diver, triggering both curiosity and terror from viewers.
Dan Senior, a diver known as 'Scuba Dan,' was recording a video of a large shark believed to be a tiger shark, when its eyes appear to suddenly turn white as it becomes aware of this presence.
"Watch her eyes change the second she smells me," he says in the TikTok. "Sharks are super-sensitive to smells that are important to their survival, including scents produced by potential predators, prey or a mate. So maybe she was trying to flirt!"
Social media users react to shark's eyes
After being shared on TikTok, the short video garnered more than 1.1 million views, with many seemingly mesmerised by what they saw.
"Wow that was actually so cool that was caught on camera," one user commented. "Beautiful," another said.
"So white eyes mean he's going to eat me and black eyes mean we chillin?" another joked.
What causes the 'white eye' appearance?
While sharks do have eyelids, they aren't able to close them fully, which is why some species have what's called nictitating membranes that protect them while hunting or being attacked. This makes it seem like their eyes are white.
While tiger sharks have this protective layer that goes over their eyes, Great Whites don't and instead roll back their eyes to protect them.
"This is called ocular rotation and means that in the last moments before they attack they are essentially blind," according to animal blog AZ Animals. "Therefore, the shark must rely on their other senses – such as electroreception – to locate their prey and attack."
Luckily in the case of the shark in the video, the predator's eyes can be quickly seen to go back to normal, sensing there is no need to attack.
"Dan is friend, not food," one person jokingly summarised on TikTok.
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.
