LONG IN THE TOOTH
Pensioner, 78, has spent more than six decades diving with killer tiger sharks
A 78-YEAR-old pensioner has been diving with killer tiger sharks for more than 60 years.
Mike Bolton routinely gets up close and personal with the deadly creatures, and has been doing so since he was 17.
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Eye-popping photos show Bolton stroking under one shark's chin and high-fiving the nose of another.
The underwater cinematographer says he wants to pass on his sea of knowledge about sharks and ocean conservation to others.
"I once had a tiger shark eat my spear gun and he shoved me out of the water hitting me three times before I was able to get him off me - then I was OK," he said.
"But they are not mindless killers and humans are not on their menu.
"Yes, attacks sometime happen but 99 per cent are by mistaken identity like a surfer on a surfboard that looks like a seal or turtle.
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"Or swimmers splashing in murky water where their limbs are mistaken as being fish."
When asked about the danger and risk, he said: "I concentrate my mind to realize what I am about to do and all the things that could go wrong and to understand in the back of my mind how I should react.
"Even then there are just so many things a shark diver is not prepared for that can happen.
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"But it is my life and I can't think of any other work or pleasure I would love to do more."
Bolton, who lives in Panama but was originally from the US, added that we need "many more people on this planet to push shark conservation and understand shark awareness and behavior."
He said he does not believe that shark attacks are done out of "malice toward humans."
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"I love shooting sharks because of their bad reputation and to raise the importance of their existence," he said.
"We need for them to continue to survive in our oceans not only for the shark but for our future health existence as to our oceans and seas."
He credits Becky, his wife of 45 years, as being a terrific cinematographer who joins him on most expeditions.
Amazing video shows a 13ft tiger shark swimming out of the sea onto a beach to feast on a humpback whale carcass
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