Around the holidays, Ocean Ramsey took some time for herself, performing yoga moves on the beach of Kai, Hawaii, with the beautiful ocean splashing behind her. The exhilarating shots she shared on Instagram of herself in a sports bra and athletic pants highlight her toned, athletic body that dives deep into the ocean to chase and research creatures of the deep.
It’s a good thing she engaged in some self-calming techniques, because just a few weeks later, Ramsey found herself up close and personal with an incredible and curious 20-foot-long great white shark. The spectacular pics were shared on Instagram where they’ve since gone viral.
Ramsey has been intensively studying great white sharks for more than a decade. The one she swam in close proximity to weighed more than two tons. She and her research team had been studying tiger sharks off the coast of Ohau, documenting their behavior, when the great white came ambling by.
“We never would have imagined we would be fortunate enough to be graced with the presence of this massive, big, beautiful, female white shark. It fills my heart with joy and takes my breath away,” she told NBC News .
Numerous photos were snapped underwater by Ramsey’s boyfriend of this amazing encounter, including a video that has drawn numerous likes and comments. In it, Ramsey can be seen holding onto the shark’s fin and they swim together for a fleeting moment.
“I absolutely LOVE sharks and have a deep understand and respect for their capabilities combined with well over a decade of full-time experience working in the water with them,” she wrote on Instagram.
It’s astounding how huge this shark is, especially when you see it next to Ramsey. She believes it might be the legendary Deep Blue, a great white that was featured on “Shark Week” and is believed to be the largest great white shark on record. According to NBC News , Ramsey is waiting for a species expert to confirm its possible identity. She also thinks that particular shark is pregnant.
Ramsey hopes that the series of spectacular photos inspire others to help support programs that protect sharks. The World Wildlife Fund classifies great white sharks as a “vulnerable” species, NBC News reported.
“It’s just so sad that so many people out around the world seeing her would think monsters and want to kill her because of movies, like Jaws ,” Ramsey said. “It kind of breaks my heart at the same time to be honest. Moments like this are increasingly rare because shark populations are being wiped out for shark fin soup and shark finning.”