Scuba diver Rick Anderson has a friend he’s been social with for the past seven years, although you might find the friendship a bit odd. You see, Anderson’s pal is a shark. A Port Jackson shark to be precise. Port Jackson sharks really pose little danger to a human, although their bite is painful and they have venomous spines on their dorsal fins. Anderson also swims with the other sharks including the Great White shark.
“I started playing with her about seven years ago when she was just a pup about 6 inches long,” Anderson said. “I approached her carefully so as not to spook her, then began to gently pat her. Once she got used to me, I would cradle her in my hand and talk soothingly to her through my regulator.”
Experts say that Port Jackson sharks do not pose much of a threat to humans, although their bites can be painful, and the spines on their dorsal fins are venomous, notes Australian Museum.
“The biggest misconception about sharks is that they are all mindless killers lying in wait for people to enter the water so they can be devoured,” the Australian veteran diver explained to The Dodo.
The diving school instructor has also been in the water with larger sharks of ill repute, including great whites, bull sharks, tiger sharks and hammerheads.
Every time they see each other, she recognizes him right away, he said.
“I [interacted with the shark] each time in the first season she was here,” he continued. “Then over the following seasons, she’d recognize me and would swim up to me for a pat and cuddle. She soon got used to me — to the point where she will swim up to me when I’m going past and tap me on the legs until I hold my arms out for her to lay on for a cuddle.”
