When we hear the word “cuddle,” the first thing that comes to mind is teddy bears, which is quite natural. Due to the fact that sharks are known for being ferocious man-eating predators, the word “cuddling” is not typically associated with them. However, the story we have in mind for you today will take you completely by surprise, since it combines a shark and cuddling.
Let us introduce you to Rick Anderson, an Australian man who believes a female Port Jackson shark to be his friend, saying she comes to cuddle with him anytime she spots him. According to Anderson, who spoke to The Dodo,“I started playing with her about seven years ago when she was just a pup about 6 inches long,” Anderson told The Dodo. “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.”
Meet Rick Anderson, an Australian man who calls a female Port Jackson shark his friend
The man, who has been scuba diving for 27 years and runs a dive school, added: “Over the following seasons, she’d recognize me and would swim up to me for a pat and cuddle. 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.”
“Most divers seeing this for the first time can’t believe it,” he added. “I don’t feed her or any of the other sharks I play with — I basically treat them like I would a dog.”
He claims that anytime she sees him, she comes up to snuggle with him.
My friendship with her probably began seven years ago when she was a pup measuring approximately 6 inches long.
“I approached her carefully so as not to spook her, then began to gently pat her. I would cradle her in my hand and talk soothingly to her through my regulator.”
Throughout the years that followed, she was able to track him down and swim to him for a hug and a slap on the back. Over time, the shark got used to Rick’s presence and began swimming up to him whenever he passed by. She would then tap him on the back of his thighs until he embraced her.
Rick feels that the idea of sharks as predators who lurk in the ocean, ready to eat human flesh, is a popular misconception among the public. Other shark species that Rick dives with include tiger sharks, bull sharks, hammerhead sharks, hammerhead sharks, banjo sharks, grey nurse sharks, and even great white sharks, among others.
He also confesses to feel at peace while swimming with these amazing creatures in their natural habitat.
