Tom Hird

The scientific community is divided as to whether dolphins or whales will deliberately save a person from a shark attack. But the people who have lived through these terrifying encounters don’t doubt what happened.

With reports of enormous fat white sharks appearing off the coast of New Zealand, scientists Tom Hird and Leigh de Necker set out to find one of these behemoths and determine if the great white can reach a staggering 6,000 lbs.

People have captured a record number of shark encounters on camera, from a hilarious moment when a shark slaps a fisherman in the face to an intense 10 minutes when a great white stalks a kayaker ... these are the craziest moments when sharks strike back.