TIGER SHARK CAUGHT ‘PLAY-BITING’ WORLD-FAMOUS SHARK<br />WITH PIX AND VID<br />By Shuk Yee Tsang<br />A dramatic underwater encounter captured a tiger shark appearing to “play bite” the world-famous tiger shark Emma.<br />The rare moment was filmed around 30 miles offshore from Grand Bahama in the Bahamas by professional underwater photographer Ken Kiefer, 56, from Texas, USA.<br />Footage shows one tiger shark nudging and nibbling at Emma while circling near a bait crate during a shark feeding dive.<br />Ken, who has been filming sharks for more than 20 years, said the tense moment immediately made him worry for the well-known predator.<br />The incident unfolded while shark feeder and wrangler Eli Martinez was managing the dive.<br />Ken, who has more than 25 years of shark diving experience, said proper briefings and experience are essential when filming animals at close range.<br />He said: “When the shark on the left started taking some nibbles at Emma, I was telling myself, ‘Don’t bite Emma.’<br />“Eli Martinez, the shark feeder, is a friend and a legend when it comes to feeding sharks. I was capturing footage and images of his expertise.<br />“Usually, I see tiger sharks nipping at reef sharks or lemon sharks. It’s not very common to see them nipping at other tiger sharks.<br />“It was partly because they could sense the bait in the plastic crate, and partly as a warning that they were there first and wanted the food.”<br />END
