In a heart-pounding encounter, a ‘zombie’ shark attacks its prey just inches away from a stunned diver, and the internet is buzzing with shared reactions.
Euan Rannachan, a 36-year-old filmmaker and adventurer, found himself at Guadalupe Island, located approximately 125 miles off the coast of mainland Mexico. It was here that he had a spine-chilling encounter with a great white shark that came into view and lingered in the water.
Euan filmed this remarkable close-up from the safety of a metal cage suspended from a boat. The shark gracefully glided to the water’s surface before snapping its jaws around some bait and thrashing it about in the water. In a swift motion, the shark opened its mouth, revealing its razor-sharp teeth, and devoured its prey even further.
“I have seen this shark more than once, I don’t remember her name, but she is a female that we had seen at the island before,” Euan recounted.
“Guadalupe Island is a migration path for a couple of different kinds of seals and makes for a great place for a white shark to have a snack. We donate all our photos to Marine Conservation Science Index (MCSI) in Mexico, who compiles a database of all the sharks we see. And with the help of the sharks’ different countershading patterns and sometimes other unique markings, we can tell who is who in the water.”
Euan shed light on why the shark closed its eyes in the clip, explaining, “They close their eyes because sometimes dinner fights back. So the white shark deploys a sort of shield if you will over their eyes when they go into attack mode just to make sure their eyes will be fine and survive the battle.”
Internet users were quick to react, with one person stating, “100% zombie shark right there.” Another called the predator “scary,” while a third clarified any confusion, saying, “That’s not a zombie; that’s the eye shutting to protect it from debris or blood.”
One of Euan’s missions is to change the perception of sharks by sharing his work and showcasing the incredible encounters he experiences. He shared his passion, saying, “I have loved sharks ever since I was a little boy, but I did not dive with white sharks until 2016. After doing it one time, I became hooked and started a company taking people out to Guadalupe Island to see the sharks with a good friend, Nikki. It is my goal with my content now to help change the negative stigma attached to sharks and empower people to do things they never thought they could!”
