Great White Shark Sticks Head In Diving Cage; Divers Narrowly Avoid Attack In South Africa (VIDEO)

A pair of shark divers off the coast of South Africa were in for an unwanted surprise when a great white shark got incredibly close to their diving cage.

Though the cage was attached to a boat at the time, the fearless (and fearsome!) predator swam right up, poked its head through the bars and flexed its jaw muscles.

Youtube user Bryan Plummer captured the astounding footage during the March 21 dive in Gansbaai. "A shark totally ignores the bait and goes straight for the cage," Plummer writes in the video's description.

While it seems like the shark got ahold of one of the divers in the video, Plummer explains that the man "acted quickly," swimming below the animal's open mouth to avoid being bitten.

Shark cage diving is one of the main tourist attractions in the small fishing town of Gansbaai. Practiced all over the world, the sport is relatively safe, since the cages are built to withstand the bite of a great white. However, accidents do happen, and in this case, the shark's head was narrow enough to fit through the bars.

The great white, which grows to an average of 15 feet, is the largest predatory fish in the world, according to National Geographic. The species is listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List Of Threatened Species.

Watch the heart-stopping footage for yourself (below).

WARNING: Video features some explicit language.

(Hat tip, Reddit)