September 2, 2024, 4:12 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
US teacher Amanda Brewer had an extraordinary encounter this summer while cage diving in South Africa: she looked deep into the mouth of a great white shark and still only had one thing on her mind – to capture what was probably the most dangerous moment of her life in a photo. It is also amazing where the photo is now hanging.
No, this is not a screenshot from the last movie night with Steven Spielberg’s famous “Great White Shark.” It’s an amateur shot of US primary school teacher Amanda Brewer. It was posted on Twitter and has already been shared several times. The 25-year-old spent the summer as a volunteer in South Africa. There, she collected scientific data in Mossel Bay during a cage dive for the Great White Sharks organization.
The harbor town of Mossel Bay is located in the Western Cape between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth on the famous Garden Route. The bay on the Indian Ocean has ideal climatic conditions. This makes it one of the most suitable places to observe the feared marine animals. Tourists can also go on shark cage diving tours from the port city and get up close to the great white sharks in an underwater cage.
Amanda’s reaction to the shark encounter is admirable. “I wasn’t scared at all,” she told Time Lightbox, “when you’re in the situation and you feel the presence of the shark, it’s not scary.” She owes the completely spontaneous snapshot to her new GoPro camera, which can take multiple shots in a matter of seconds. The teacher bought it shortly before her trip. She only later realized that she had captured the unforgettable moment in a photo.
If there was a “Hall of Fame” of the most spectacular and dangerous animal photos, this would probably be there. Instead, it is displayed in Amanda’s classroom in New Jersey. However, the photo and her extraordinary experience do not scare the young pupils at all – they are thrilled.