BM_JB_Shark_close_encounter by John Balson
A SWIMMER has a close encounter with a shark - just 50m of shore.
The oceanic blacktip was captured by photographer Daniel Botelho, 33, as he swam off the coast of Recife in Brazil - known as one of the deadliest beaches in the world.
Few dare to swim in these waters due to the high risk of attack, usually from more dangerous species like bull and tiger sharks.
But conservationist Botelho had no qualms about taking the plunge to capture this shot, which takes in both the shark and the condos on the city's coastline.
He said: "As the world knows, I am kind of shark whisperer and it has been an old dream of mine to capture a photo of a shark in the metropolitan area of Recife. I had to use all my knowledge about shark diving and interaction to make it happen."
There have been a spate of nearly 60 attacks off the coast of Recife over the last 20 years - with nearly 40 per cent of them fatal.
Poor visibility and trawlers dumping waste at a nearby port are among the reasons cited by scientists for the frequency of attacks.
However, Botelho says he took up this dangerous challenge to prove sharks are not mindless man-eaters.
His previous work has included freediving with great white sharks and hand-feeding tiger sharks - one of the species blamed for the attacks in Recife.
Botelho, from Brazil, captured this image in 2013 but has only just released it.
ENDS
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