Swimmers mingle with sharks and stingrays during feeding frenzy

Belize is home to some of the most incredible wildlife on the planet. This marine sanctuary off the coast of Ambergrise Caye near San Pedro is a perfect example of the diverse marine animals that the area offers. Between dives, these scuba enthusiasts pulled up on the seagrass bed in a location called "Shark Ray Alley" and jumped into the water with dozens of hungry, yet gentle creatures.

Sharks in general pose very little threat to humans who are acting responsibly, but nurse sharks in particular are completely harmless and docile. Scavengers, they prey on injured fish and eat scraps or dead animals. They aren't designed to attack healthy animals. The sharks here are encouraged with scraps of fish that the fishermen toss in the water, or place in perforated tubes to bring the sharks near. The result is an educational experience that demonstrates to swimmers exactly how safe they are in the water among the sharks.

Sharks have been long villainized as blood thirsty killing machines that terrorize the oceans. Stingrays have the same reputation among the ill informed. But this is far from the truth, in both cases. Sharks and stingrays are intelligent and curious and they do not recognize humans as food. They have no reason to attack or injure a human unless they are acting defensively.

These swimmers enjoyed the interaction immensely while learning about sharks and stingrays and about their behaviour. They were also thrilled to capture some very close up video and photographs in stunning detail and colour.