The words “shark encounter” usually induce a sense of panic, especially when they’re part of a news cycle. But stories like Dereon Verbeck’s are a reminder that the sentiment often couldn’t be further from the truth. Our relationship to predators like great whites is fascinating.
Verbeck was diving and taking photos off of Big Island’s Keahole Point when he thought he saw a school of ulua. He started thinking the school was actually a tiger shark as he looked closer. But as the animal approached and kept getting bigger and bigger, he realized he was staring at a 15-foot great white shark. But there wasn’t anything threatening or dangerous about the encounter as the shark swam close by.
As researcher and conservationist, Ocean Ramsey says, “Sharks utilize this language to establish their social hierarchy and to avoid physical confrontations.” So Verbeck stuck around. He took advantage of the moment to fire off as many photos as he could before the shark eventually swam away.
“Typical behavior of big sharks is one of wariness around people,” says Dr. Carl Meyer of the Hawaii Institute for Marine Biology in the video above. “The only time you see aggressive behavior is typically when they’re actively foraging.”
Verbeck doubles down on the sentiment, saying he could recognize the great white’s curiosity.
“If she wanted to take me, she would have taken me. Her demeanor was just curiosity. She just came up to see what I was doing.”
Learn more about sharks in Ocean Ramsey’s Guide to Sharks and Safety.
