SMILE! Diver taking pictures of life underwater gets photobombed by a grinning shark in the Bahamas

By Julian Robinson From Daily Mail UK

Shark swims into shot as photographer Jeffrey Haines takes snaps of diver

Inquisitive lemon shark bares its teeth as if smiling as it comes into frame

Close encounter happened in the Caribbean Sea off the Bahamas coast

This is the incredible moment a cheeky shark photobombed a diver and even seemed to grin for the camera as it barged its way in to the shot.

Photographer Jeffrey Haines, 52, was left stunned by the close encounter while diving in the Caribbean sea off the Bahamas coast.

The underwater snapper, from Kerhonkson, New York, was attempting to take a picture of a fellow diver and tiger shark when the ten foot lemon shark swam into the frame.

Coming through: a lemon shark takes diver Barbara Ziegler by surprise, bursting in to shot as Jeffrey Haines tries to take pictures of another shark. It appears to be grinning as it heads straight for the camera in this image taken in the Caribbean Sea off the Bahamas in January

He said: ‘I was actually photographing the diver who was pointing at a rather large tiger shark, that’s why the diver is still in focus and the shark isn’t.

‘But all of a sudden this lemon shark swam into the frame and photobombed the picture.

‘It looked like it was smiling and it almost looked like it was saying ‘hey take a picture of me’.

‘Lemon sharks are really curious and this one was definitely checking me out.

‘The images were taken during a one-week expedition in the Bahamas in January this year, but these particular images were taken on just one dive.

Flashing a grin: this lemon shark arrived out of the blue as Jeffrey Haines was trying to take a picture of diver George Hughes

‘I remember this dive being very chaotic it was a really dynamic shoot with dozens of sharks.’

Jeffrey said he took up photography in 2006 shortly after he began scuba diving.

He said of all the dives he had photographed this particular trip was one of his most successful.

‘For me photography and diving went hand in hand, I wanted to share my experience so I began taking photos to document what I saw,’ he said.

‘I’d been close to sharks before but during this most recent dive I managed to get closer than i’d ever been before, I encountered lemon, tiger, Caribbean reef and nurse sharks.

‘When you first start scuba diving you’re initially scared about seeing sharks but you’re told to feel lucky if you do as an encounter with them is so incredibly rare. For me this experience confirmed that for me.

As diver Klaus-Peter Harter watches on, the lemon shark heads straight for the camera being held by New York photographer Jeffrey Haines. It swam into shot while Mr Haines, from New York, was trying to take pictures of a tiger shark in the Bahamas

After photobombing the picture, the lemon shark swims on to its side while diver George Hughes rests his hands on its head

‘You do have to be careful sharks don’t see you as a threat. You have to make sure you cover up, just a flash of skin could be mistaken for a fish and they may grab your hand thinking it’s prey.

‘By the time the shark would realise it wasn’t a fish, it would be too late.

‘If a shark bit down hard just once it would most probably be fatal.

‘But I was underwater for up to six hours every day for a week with these sharks and not once did they even attempt to bite me.

‘It’s feels incredibly humbling to get this close to sharks and so rare it would be the equivalent of a grizzly bear walking up to you, it’s awe-inspiring.’

The lemon shark turns around for another shot as schools of yellow fish swim past. Diver George Hughes, pictured, films the experience along with a colleague

A diver gently touches the lemon shark’s chin lower jaw after the creature had arrived unannounced and photobombed a picture session in the Bahamas

For more on this story go to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2604143/SMILE-Diver-taking-pictures-life-underwater-gets-photobombed-shark.html#ixzz2ysFnhztZ