Video: Diver pushes great white shark away in close encounter
A spear fisherman in South Africa got the fright of his life when he surfaced from a dive - to see a five-metre great white shark swim directly underneath him.
Eugene van Wyngaardt and Kyle Murie were spearfishing near a reef off Port Elizabeth when they had the close encounter.
Mr van Wyngaardt said he had just been wondering why there were no small sharks around, when the possibility of a great white in the area ran through his head.
Seconds later, he saw the animal up close.
Mr van Wyngaardt told Nine MSN: "She turns and comes very close, on the second approach I have to push myself away from her, to get my legs out of her way."
He can be seen poking the shark with his spear in an attempt to keep her away.
According to Shock Mansion, the situation was made worse by the fact that visibility in the water was only around five metres.
Both Kyle and Eugene managed to make it back to the boat safely, but, he said, the shark "circled my boat three times after I got on".
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