Expats in The Bahamas: to inform, educate and connect...

By ALISON SMITH-SQUIRE

This is the terrifying moment a daring diver looked into the jaws of one of the world's most dangerous animals.

Forced to fend-off the tiger shark with just his camera the adventurer came perilously close to the wrong kind of snap.



Conservationalist Russell Easton was photographing the 12ft beast in the Bahamas when he got the close-up he was not expecting.

The professional underwater photographer and diver says: 'I was looking through the view finder of the camera when I suddenly saw this huge mouth and teeth.

The 42-year-old professional underwater photographer and diver says: 'I was looking through the view finder of the camera when I suddenly saw this huge mouth and teeth.



'It is only because of the camera I was not bitten. Sharks bite because that is how they find out what something is - they use their mouth as we use our hands -  and it had its mouth wide open, about to bite me.

“In that moment I managed to get one shot of the inside of its mouth. Thankfully sharks are attracted to cameras and bit that instead, giving me vital seconds to swim away.'

It was only afterwards I realized the camera had probably saved my life and how fortunate I was.'  



Despite his lucky escape, Mr Easton, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne maintains the shark was not trying to hurt him.

He says: 'I don't think he was attacking me. He was just curious and wanted to know what I was so was going to take a nibble to find out.

The problem is a tiger shark's mouth is so large and it's teeth so sharp that if a shark takes a nibble out of you, the bite is so huge it is often fatal.'

Despite the close call the seasoned diver is due return to Cat Island, Bahamas to photograph sharks and is looking for a sponsor.