SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The sight of a massive hammerhead shark was a rare treat for 32 travelers on a tour boat in the Bahamas this week. But then, something stranger still: A dog dove from a nearby dock to confront the monstrous sea creature.
Tourists aboard the four-hour excursion can be heard shouting and pleading with the dog to turn back, in a video circulating on social media. “Oh my god!” and “Get out baby!” and “Stop going after it!”
The dog ignored them and paddled after the 12-foot shark, which thrashed as the two animals circled each other in transparent turquoise waters near a private island in the southern Bahamas. Then the shark swam away slowly, much to the delight and surprise of the crowd.
“I don’t think the shark is going to mess with him!” exclaimed one man.
The shark had emerged from under the boat during a tour Wednesday in the southern Bahamas organized by Exuma Water Sports.
Company reservations manager Rebecca Lightbourn told the Associated Press on Friday that the black-and-tan dog always runs along the shore to greet the boat when it passes that island. But it’s the first time it was seen diving in.
“I guess this time the dog decided he wanted to protect his house or play with a really big fish in the water, so he went after it,” Lightbourn said.
When the shark swam away from the pier, the medium-sized dog scrambled back onto the rocks and loped away, earning applause from the tourists. The boat then headed to a popular area where tourists jump into the water with the renowned Bahamian swimming pigs.
