Heart-stopping moment huge great white shark charges at screaming tourists and bites cage

THIS is the heart stopping moment a vast Great White Shark launched itself at a bunch of tourists.

The deep sea carnivores are a huge lure for thrill-seeking visitors to South Africa every year, desperate to catch a glimpse of the predators.

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But these travellers got more than they bargained for when the razor toothed beast gnashed at the bars of the diving cage.

Footage from inside the cage dangling in the Southern Ocean shows the shark stalking through the sea, its dorsal fin slicing through the waves.

The huge fish makes a bee-line for the bate hanging from the metal bars and latches on as the tourists look on just inches from the beasts lethal jaws.

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Panicked cries from inside the cage can be heard as the Great White writhes in the sea attempting to tear the bait from its hook.

One swimmer could he heard yelling, "Oh my God!" as the shark ripped the bait to shreds.

Eventually the great white ripped the bait off the cage and returned to the deep.

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The 2015 footage has only recently been posted on the Internet.

The tourist who uploaded the video wrote: “After a fairly uneventful day, we went in the cage one last time in hope of getting up close and personal with these magnificent great white sharks.

“I think it's safe to say we got more than we bargained for.”