Toothy grin: Canadian photographer Todd Mintz has been trying to get a picture of a smiling shark for eight yearsIt's a smile so wide no photographer could resist.
Award winning marine snapper Todd Mintz certainly couldn't turn it down, even though the teeth belong to a giant lemon shark, which have been known to launch frenzied attacks on humans.
Yet Mintz braved the tropical waters of the Bahamas to stand just inches from the enormous beast to in order to capture this fin-tastic photo.
Mintz - who has worked as an underwater photographer for 14 years - spent days at a time patiently waiting for one of the sharks to show off his teeth.
He has been trying to capture an image of a 'smiling shark' for eight years and finally succeeded after attaching his camera to a pole, which he lowered into the water from the back of a boat, using a remote trigger to fire off the shot.
And in his long sought-after photograph the smiling sea creature bears an uncanny resemblance to Bruce the Shark, from the film Finding Nemo, who was voiced by Australian comedian Barry Humphries.
Are they related? Bruce the Shark from the film Finding Nemo, who liked to smile but wasn't to be trustedWhile Mintz is in no doubt about the danger this particular breed poses he says he loves working with the enormous creatures which, at up to 13ft long, are one of the largest species of shark in the world.
Lemon sharks like this one have been known to attack swimmers and surfers in the shallow waters off the American coast, although one has never been responsible for a recorded death.
Mintz - who has won dozens of international awards for his incredible pictures of marine life - says he got hooked on taking underwater snaps after he borrowed a waterproof camera the first time he went diving.
He has been on dozens of week-long dives in and around the warm waters of the Bahamas, capturing amazing images of sharks and other sea creatures.
He said: 'Timing the image and anticipating the shark coming in close were the toughest part of capturing the shot.
'To me, photography is all about the shark and the photographer mixing together to capture a moment in time.
'I hope that in my images I can inspire people to take an interest in wildlife and nature and the beauty that it holds.'
source: dailymail
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