This week’s edition of U.S current affairs program ’60 Minutes’ screened a reporting segment on South Africa’s Michael Rutzen – otherwise known as the ‘Sharkman’. Rutzen defies popular logic by diving with South Africa’s infamous Great White sharks without a cage.

But there is much to be learned from his experiences and his intense up-close and personal interactions with these magnificent creatures. A few things worth noting from the report include the need for Rutzen to: maintain total eye contact with the shark(s); stay calm (sharks sense fear); and to utilise the sense of touch in establishing a bond or form of communication with the curious shark.

Whilst we don’t advocate for people to start randomly jumping in the water with Great Whites, Rutzen’s actions certainly go some way toward showing us how one can ‘break down’ the boundaries between man and beast and connect with nature at a deeper and more respectful level.