working with wild animals in their natural habitat is something that most people only could dream of. the reef is teeming with life. fish of all shapes and sizes, beautiful coral, a rare chance to interact with some of the planet s most interesting characters. we had numerous animals. we had nurse sharks, barracudas and goliath groupers and green moray eels. these are my pets. most people have cats and dogs. i have animals under water. the sea pro gives his clients a little something extra, physical encounters with sea creatures that strike fear into the saltiest seafarer, like the 300-pound nurse shark. dave feels the key to the carnivores trust is physical affection. whenever you hold a nurse shark, they typically just go to sleep.
they re one of the most docile animals that you will find in the wild. they want to be hugged. they want to be scratched. they want you to pet them. if you feed them and hold them, they will just relax in your arms. the customers of course think it s a bit on the crazy side to kiss a shark. the sharks seem to enjoy the attention while the divers look on in amazement. this shark whisperer is so comfortable with his skill, he invites a kid to cuddle the shark. but the real show comes when dave smooches the shark right on the kisser. clients and tourists would absolutely love it whenever we would hold the sharks and i would actually kiss the sharks. he s pulled this stunt with hundreds of nurse sharks over the years, but today he ll know the pain of unrequited love. trouble comes when dave tries something new, turning the fish on its back. the shark s eyes are on the top
of its head. it can t possibly see dave as he plants his tender kiss on its open mouth. he couldn t see me. he smelled fish in the water and he felt something on his face. he did what any shark would do, and that reaction is to bite something that he thinks is food. it s just an instant of mistaken identity. thinking dave is a tasty treat, the shark sinks 500 razor-sharp teeth into his puckered lips. the pain is excruciating. for some reason, the sea creature lets go. dave s lip dangles like a worm from his face. sharks don t like people. sharks done like the way people taste. sharks like fish. i m not a fish. incredibly, dave keeps his lip, but the shark does so much damage the doctor has to sew 285 stitches. instantaneously it hurt. what actually hurt the most were
the snappers that were coming in to take a bite of my lip that was hanging. but just three days later, dave resumes his kissing high jinks. it s just a hazard of the job. one shark bite is not going to deter me from doing what i love. guadalupe island, mexico, december, 2008. a fearless pair takes to the ocean in search of jaws. a massive 15-foot great white chomps down on a bloody chunk of bait. what happens next is caught on camera. a terrifying attack and a desperate escape. patrick walsh and paul campo have a couple dozen years experience swimming with sharks. definitely an adrenaline
all of a sudden this great white shark about four meters ten grabbed me and the next minute i was underneath the water, and i looked at the shark face-to-face. despite his rendezvous with death, shannon still surfs. a rubber glove protects his fragile hand, a constant reminder of how fierce and fast these ocean creatures can be. quite scared to go out there. i just feel very lucky to be alive right now. elbow reef, key largo, florida. a nurse shark gets cozy with a diver and sends him to the hospital. instantaneously it hurt. it was almost like a firecracker going off in my mouth. for more than a decade, diver dave marcel has been leading scuba tours for curious thrill seekers.