When Rick Anderson wants to visit one of his best friends, he has to put some effort into it. He has to put on a wetsuit, strap an oxygen tank to his back, and put a regulator in his mouth. Then, he has to head to Nobbys Beach in New South Wales, Australia and dive into the ocean.
When he’s underneath the water, he can finally meet up with his friend: a Port Jackson shark!
Anderson’s friend is now six-feet long, but when he first met her, she was just a little baby. Anderson described the first time he encountered the shark to The Dodo:
“I started playing with her about seven years ago when she was just a pup about 6 inches long. I approached her carefully so as not to spook her, then began to gently pat her. Once she got used to me, I would cradle her in my hand and talk soothingly to her through my regulator.”
Anderson did this routine every time he saw the shark. By the end of the season, she started recognizing him, and she was always excited to see him.
“Over the following seasons, she’d recognize me and would swim up to me for a pat and cuddle,” Anderson said. “She soon got used to me – to the point where she will swim up to me when I’m going past, and tap me on the legs until I hold my arms out for her to lay on for a cuddle.”
Other divers are always surprised when they see Anderson and the shark interacting.
They ask if Anderson feeds the shark, but he says no. He simply treats her like a dog, playing with her and cuddling her. The shark loves it!
Anderson has been diving for 27 years, and he also runs Rick’s Dive School. At his dive school, he shows his students that sharks aren’t as dangerous as they fear.
“The biggest misconception about sharks is that they are all mindless killers lying in wait for people to enter the water so they can be devoured,” Anderson said. “I have always felt comfortable swimming with these animals.”
Anderson and his Port Jackson shark friend prove that sharks are more than just something to be feared. If given the chance, sharks can form strong bonds with their favorite divers!
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