Sperm whales protect diver from shark in Mauritius

In a remarkable underwater encounter, two massive sperm whales protected a diver from an aggressive oceanic whitetip shark. Benoît Girodeau was diving near Mauritius when the shark approached him. Known for their aggressive behavior, the shark circled Girodeau, creating a dangerous situation. The incident was captured on video by reggae-dancehall artist Natty Gong and shared on Instagram. Girodeau described how the two sperm whales intervened. One whale swam in front of the shark, preventing it from reaching him. It even chased the shark away before checking on Girodeau’s safety. As the shark tried to approach again, the second whale joined the first. Ultimately, one of the whales bit the shark's tail to warn it off. Girodeau felt safe surrounded by the whales, allowing him to return to his boat without injury. Oceanic whitetip sharks are rare but considered hazardous to divers. They are opportunistic hunters that can grow up to 13 feet long. Despite their reputation, the protective behavior shown by the sperm whales was unusual. Sperm whales are not typically known for protecting humans but their actions in this case provided a remarkable display of guardianship.