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THE BAHAMAS — Simply being in the water near sharks is enough to make most people feel uncomfortable. But how about having a 10-foot shark ram right into your face?
A stunning video from the Bahamas shows just such an event. According to a report from Aol News, the incident occurred as professional diver Michael Dornellas was diving off Tiger Beach in the Bahamas.
As Dornellas filmed underwater, a large shark swam directly at him. The brutal impact broke his mask and left a contusion on his fact. A friend was accompanying Dornellas on the dive and captured footage of the bizarre impact.
Interestingly enough, Dornellas had frequented that area and had seen the shark previously. And there may have been a simple explanation for the collision—the shark was allegedly blind in one eye.
"She wasn't trying to bite me or be aggressive,” Dornellas told Aol News. “After the collision, she took off — I think I scared her really badly, so I felt bad."
"She wasn't trying to bite me or be aggressive. After the collision, she took off — I think I scared her really badly, so I felt bad." — Michael Dornellas
Like any professional, Dornellas refused to let a shark-punch to the face ruin his day. After swimming to the surface and getting a new mask, he returned to the water and continued a day of diving.
This actually wasn’t Dornellas’ first newsworthy shark encounter. Earlier this year, he encountered a shark off the coast of Florida that had a hook lodged in its mouth. Concerned for the health of the shark, he decided to remove the hook.
To accomplish this dangerous feat, he turned the shark upside down, which temporarily put it in a trance-like state called tonic immobility. A diving companion filmed the action and the video attracted attention worldwide.
