திமிங்கிலம்மூலம் விழுங்கப்பட இருந்த நீர் மூழ்கி வீரர் -படங்கள் இணைப்பு

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...

This diver almost got sucked into the mouth of a massive whale shark while it fed on thousands of plankton.

The shark, the sea's largest fish, is actually incredibly docile. The relieved diver escaped from the encounter unscathed and continued to enjoy the presence of the extraordinary animals.


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Jaws: This diver almost got sucked into the mouth of a massive whale shark as it fed on plankton
The photograph was taken during a feeding frenzy where more than 600 of the 40ft animals gathered to feed on tuna spawn.

Other amazing pictures from the session taken by photographer Mauricio Handler show 'shark suckers' - other fish attached to the animals as they swam through the sea.

Mr Handler travelled to Isla Mujeres, in Mexico, and used high-tech equipment to capture the incredible moments underwater.

Whale sharks have mouths up to 1.5 metres wide that contain up to 350 rows of teeth. Despite their size, they do not pose a risk to divers.

Each year they converge in water off Mexico where they filter feed by sieving plankton from the water. They swim with their huge mouth open sucking masses of water filled with spawn into its jaws.


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BFGs: Whalesharks, the sea's largest fish, are actually very docile
[b style="font-weight: bold;"]FISHY STORIES: THE MYSTERIOUS WORLD OF THE WHALE SHARK[/b]
[b style="font-weight: bold;"]The largest of all fish, the whale shark - or Rhincodon typus - is found all tropical and warm seas.
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[b style="font-weight: bold;"]Typically seen off-shore in the pelagic zone, near the top of the oceans, the slow-moving filter feeders have a life-span thought to be around 70 years.
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[b style="font-weight: bold;"]The largest recorded specimen was caught off the coast of Pakistan in 1947. It was 12.65m (41.5ft) long, weighed more than 21.5 tons and had a girth of 7m.[/b]

[b style="font-weight: bold;"]There are stories of larger specimens - quoted lengths of 18m (59ft) are common  - but there are no scientific records to support their existence.[/b]
[b style="font-weight: bold;"]They gather in huge numbers for seasonal feeding frenzies at several coastal sites across the world, where the tiny marine animals they eat spawn.[/b]
[b style="font-weight: bold;"]Known as a deity in a Vietnamese culture, the whale shark is called 'Ca Ong', which literally translates as 'Sir Fish'.
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Mr Handler, a 49 year old father of two, said: 'The picture of the diver staring into the gaping jaws of the shark was an incredible adrenaline rush.

'I led an expedition of photographers and when you're down there with the fish it is like another world.

'On our last day I was taking a photograph of a whale and it ended up swimming at my photographer friend.

'They don't have very good eyesight but the diver managed to get out of the way.

'If he had have been sucked into the massive mouth the shark would have just spat him out.

'The sharks return here each year to feed on the tuna who spawn billions of eggs. This year there were about 600 and it was amazing to see.

'They are beautiful animals and are incredibly docile. Once I was accidentally hit by a whale shark when I failed to get out of the way in time while it was feeding.

'It gave me a good whack as it went by and I certainly felt it. I also got some great shots of shark suckers which hitchhike on to the fish.

'It's quite disgusting, but they attach themselves on to the sharks with large suction discs and feed off the creature's excrement.

'As long as they remain hooked on a ride they will have a constant source of food and can remain attached even at high speeds.'
Mr Handler, from Maine, in the U.S., added: 'We use very hi-tech equipment to capture a very raw moment on camera.

'I feel as if it is my job to show people what they have never seen before. I'm there trying to get a unique angle so I put myself on the edge, right in the action.

'I want people to realise these animals are here but one day they will not be. We are treating the ocean like a supermarket and not allowing it to heal itself.'

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Open wide: Whale sharks have mouths up to 1.5 metres wide that contain up to 350 rows of teeth


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Majestic: These photographs were taken during a feeding frenzy where more than 600 of the 40ft animals gathered to feed on tuna spawn