Diver Has Close Encounter With Shark That Ends in Laughter and Curses

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The thought of finding yourself face-to-face with a shark on their turf is enough to turn most people pale. (Their turf, like the water. That's not a West Side Story reference.) For Tim Van Beelen, there might have been a little fear, but there appears to have been a broad range of emotions that washed over him at a rapid pace.

While he and a friend were spear hunting in Western Australia's Coral Bay, a shark decided a fish Van Beelen had speared was going to be dinner. Van Beelen and his friend came very close to the shark as it circled and came close to their flippered feet. He shared the video on Facebook and it began racking up the views and spreading quickly.

In their frantic effort to swim away, there was maniacal laughter, calls for the boat, hooting and swearing, and a very impressive leap into the boat once it finally arrived.

Watch the video above. It certainly contains more laughs than other close encounters, like when a man fought off a great white with a broom or another spear hunter ran into a much larger shark.

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Dustin Nelson is a News Writer with Thrillist. He holds a Guinness World Record but has never met the fingernail lady. He’s written for Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, Men’s Journal, The Rumpus, and other digital wonderlands. Follow him @dlukenelson.