Hooked: A diver stares into the jaws of death as he struggles to release the tank from the shark's gripIn any encounter between man and the fearsome great white shark, there's normally only one winner.
But the tables were turned on this particular predator after it became snared on a diver's oxygen tank off the coast of Mexico.
A group of divers were in a safety cage 30ft below the surface when the 15ft-long great white made its approach.
The shark bit into the tank but then hooked its jaw onto the metal cylinder, becoming trapped.
And because sharks cannot swim backwards, the great white was unable to manoeuvre itself free.
That's when the divers put their lives on the line by prizing the cylinder loose and pushing the one-and-a-half tonne shark to safety.
The remarkable pictures were taken by photographer Don Carpenter, who described the incident as the most amazing he had ever experienced in the ocean.
Gently does it: The diver pushes the shark away from the cage and to safety'We were surprised by the animal's behaviour in that she was quite calm through the whole ordeal,' Mr Carpenter, from Lubbock, Texas, said.
'Don't kid yourself for one minute - when you're practically touching the nose of a great white, you're thinking two things - how fast can I get back into the cage and will ithurt when she rips my torso off and leaves my legs standing there.
'These giants are portrayed as man-eaters, but when she did go for the cage, you can see their colossal power.'
Back for more: The shark charges the cage again but this time steers well clear of any oxygen tanks
source: dailymail
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