Bahama tourists faced rare standoff between a dog and a 12-foot shark

Tourists traveling on a sightseeing boat from Exuma Water Sports witnessed a rare standoff this week between the dog who belongs to one of the boat owners and a 12-foot hammerhead shark.

The tourists had been on a four-hour tour when they first spotted the shark, but panic arose when a dog dove into the water from a nearby dock to confront the huge fish.

Oh my god! get out baby! Stop going after it!

Video

Screams from the passengers trying to get the dog’s attention and hoping to get him to swim for safety could be heard, but the dog just paddled towards the shark; the two could be seen in the accompanying video below, circling each other in the crystal clear water. Just a few minutes later, the shark slowly swam away.

The reservation manager for the boat tour company, Rebecca Lightbourn, told the Associated Press that the black and tan dog always runs around the shore and the dock to greet the tourists, however this was the first time she ever knew the dog to jump in the water.

Whether he wanted to protect his island or just wanted to play with what looked to him like a really big fish in the water, he just went after it.

Rebecca

After the shark swam away, the dog ran back to the shore, climbed over the huge rocks and likely had no idea that the applause from the boat was meant for him.

And in case you are wondering about the size of hammerhead sharks, they average 13 feet and can weigh as much as 1,500 pounds; a lot of fish for a medium sized dog wouldn’t you agree? On the positive side, at least for the dog, the hammerheads are not overly aggressive, but that’s more for humans than for dogs who might easily be seen as lunch to the shark.

The area where the 30 guests and two crew members saw the shark vs. dog contest of wills, is an area surrounding a private island known to cater to the very wealthy and famous.

Check out the video: (Language warning – may not be suitable for all audiences)