Shark And Diver Have Been Friends For 7 Years And Love Giving Hugs Underwater

The easiest way to describe it would be "an improbable friendship". 7 years ago, Rick Anderson, an Australian deep-sea diver, bumped right into a sleeper shark at Pork-Jackson. He would go on to become great friends with the underwater creature.

^{Source : Rick Anderson}

Sleeper sharks are a harmless species. Rick, who owns a diving school, met the nearly 2-metre-long female shark close at Nobby's beach. He toldThe Dodo:

I started playing with her about seven years ago when she was just a pup about 6 inches long.I approached her carefully so as not to spook her, then began to gently pat her. Once she got used to me, I would cradle her in my hand and talk soothingly to her through my regulator.

Source : Rick Anderson

From there on, the rest was history. The shark came to say hello to Rick each time he went diving at that spot. He never misses out an opportunity to cuddle or play with his marine friend. "Then over the following seasons, she'd recognize me and would swim up to me for a pat and cuddle. She soon got used to me — to the point where she will swim up to me when I'm going past, and tap me on the legs until I hold my arms out for her to lay on for a cuddle."

^{Source : Rick Anderson}

Their incredible friendship astounds everyone who hears about it. "Most divers seeing this for the first time can't believe it.I don't feed her or any of the other sharks I play with — I basically treat them like I would a dog."

^{Source : Rick Anderson}Rick hopes to contribute to the denouncing of sharks' bad reputation, which, he says, is a far cry from the great creatures they are. He insists: fear of sharks is unjustified. Humans beings are much more threatening to sharks than the other way around: it is estimated that 73 million sharks are killed by humans each year.

^{Source : Rick Anderson}Over the past 40 years, shark populations have decreased by 90%, with the main reason being overfishing. 30% of shark species alive today are threatened.

Source : Rick Anderson

The association, Sea Shepherd, fights to save our oceans and to protect marine species. You can learn more about shark populations here and how to support the organization.

^{H/t: TheDodo}