Cage Diver's Close Encounter With Fearsome Great White Shark

Canadian Jeremy Stewart was holidaying in South Africa and decided to take the plunge into the dangerous waters of Gansbaai - ominously nicknamed 'Shark Alley'.

The Vancouver native was left awestruck when a 10ft long great white lunged for a dangling piece of bait and missed, crashing into the protective enclosure.

He said: “I was pretty confident the cage would protect us and the shark didn't seem interested in us. It was just going after the bait.

“For the most part I was calm, it was amazing to see these awesome creatures in the wild.

“However the moment when it hit the cage I got to feel its incredible power. For that second I don't know what I was thinking I just wanted to get out of the way.”

Jeremy added: “You're pretty safe as long as you keep all your limbs inside the cage.

“But you forget all that when its swimming right at you with its huge jaws of serrated teeth.”

And despite his close encounter, the 36-year-old computer animator admitted that the experience did not discourage him from going back in the water.

He said: “It didn't stop me from going surfing the next day in Jeffreys Bay which is about a day's drive down the coast.

“I tried to capture as much of this once-in-a-lifetime experience as I possibly could. Hopefully I get to do it again one day.”