Massive Shark Approaches Stealthily During Snorkeling in Cebu, Creating a Frightening Scene

Shark’s Jaw Brushed Her Arm Several Times
World’s Largest Fish, Yet Gentle by Nature

A woman snorkeling in Cebu, one of the Philippines' top tourist destinations, was captured on video coming face-to-face with a massive whale shark. On September 1 (local time), the UK’s Daily Mail reported that a video of a woman snorkeling on August 3, who suddenly discovered a giant shark approaching from behind and frantically tried to escape, has gone viral on social networking services (SNS).

Whale sharks have large jaws but primarily feed on plankton and small fish. Whale sharks often exhibit curiosity and approach people nearby, and it is not uncommon to encounter them up close while diving or snorkeling. Daily Mail

While snorkeling in the waters of Cebu, the woman encountered a whale shark with its huge mouth wide open charging toward her just below the surface, and the shark’s jaw touched her arm several times. In the underwater footage filmed by her companion, the enormous whale shark with its mouth agape can be seen approaching the woman, while she hurriedly flees from the shark in a state of panic.

The shark in the video, much larger than a human, moved slowly but was still highly intimidating. Although the scene was harrowing, whale sharks are known as the world’s largest fish and are gentle by nature, not attacking humans. The woman said, "I thought the shark was trying to eat my arm. I was so scared. I thought I was going to stop breathing." Whale sharks have large jaws but primarily feed on plankton and small fish. Whale sharks often exhibit curiosity and approach people nearby, and it is not uncommon to encounter them up close while diving or snorkeling. However, since whale sharks are still sharks, it is important not to let your guard down.

Unlike this woman who was startled when a whale shark approached, a man last month on the 28th shared a video of himself grabbing the whale shark's fin, climbing onto its back, and clapping his hands while dancing, which drew criticism from netizens. The man continued to wave his hands while sitting on the shark, and when the shark dove deeper into the sea, he returned to the boat.

Unlike this woman who was startled when a whale shark approached, a man last month on the 28th shared a video of himself grabbing the whale shark's fin, climbing onto its back, and clapping his hands while dancing, which drew criticism from netizens. Daily Mail

Once the video was released on SNS, criticism of the man’s behavior poured in. One netizen condemned it as "disgusting behavior no different from animal abuse." The video sparked even greater controversy as it was released amid a recent string of shark-related incidents. In April, a diver died after being attacked by a shark off the coast of Hadera, Israel. In December last year, a tourist was also killed by a shark near the resort area of Marsa Alam in Egypt’s Red Sea.