THIS Jaws-dropping shot greeted a photographer as she got up close and personal with a group of sharks.
Tanya Houppermans, 44, caught the moment as the sand tiger shark glided through a tunnel of tiny fish off the coast of North Carolina in the United States.
The stunning image shows the top half of the animal’s body emerge from the shoal as it penetrates the massive bait ball.
Tanya, of Virginia, described the image as a “one in a million” shot. She took it on July 10 in the waters of Morehead City.
Tanya, who has been a photographer for eight years, captured the moment from beneath the shark and hopes it will show people the animals are not to be feared.
She said: “I’m always amazed at how graceful sharks are.
“One of the biggest misconceptions surroundings sharks is that they will seek out and attack people who happen to be in the water nearby. This is simply untrue.”
Sand tiger sharks survive on a diet of bony fish, other sharks and crustaceans.
With no reported human fatalities caused by a sand tiger shark, conservationist Tanya hopes her snaps will teach the public the truth about these awesome creatures.
She says: “Media has propagated the myth over the last several decades that sharks are mindless monsters.
“They are so much more intelligent than most people realise.”
She adds: “Sharks are often cautious and timid around people and will typically retreat if they feel threatened.”
