If you’ve seen “Jaws” then you know how horrifying and deadly these creatures can be. They’re massive. They’re fast. They’ve got sharp teeth. And worst of all, they think humans are a delicacy. But despite the odds of surviving a shark attack, people go to the shores of Palolem Beach, South Goa, India to take selfies with one of these deadly great white sharks. And they can thank American graffiti artist Jimmy Swift for the opportunity. But don’t believe everything you see because things aren’t necessarily what they appear to be. So, what’s the story behind this photogenic sea predator?The American graffiti artist decided to disguise the triangular beach stone peeking out of the water into something so terrifying that tourists and locals wouldn’t be able to resist taking a photo, and that’s exactly what happened.
It wasn’t long before people started noticing the shark and taking creative selfies with his work of art, like the one where two women appear to be trying to run and swim across the water to get away from the shark before it’s too late.
But all in all, the great white shark turned out just as terrifying as he envisioned it to be. On his Instagram post, he wrote: “When I first saw this rock it looked like a perfect place for a great white.” And he was right.
Swift was used to painting on dry land. But this was different. He was hit by waves, had sand blown on his face and dealt with rising tides. Not to mention the scorching sun, which often hindered his progress.
They took photos where they tried escaping the massive great white shark. But when the tide was low, people could just walk up to the massive stone and stare at it in awe because it was so impressive and terrifyingly beautiful.
Maybe she’s sacrificing the child to the great white in hopes of sparing herself. Nice job, Mom! But seriously, who wouldn’t want to have a little fun getting creative with a photo next to this shark?
All it needed were a pair of legs dangling from its mouth, and it would have been even scarier. But soon everyone was getting in on the fun and Swift was shocked to find how big of a deal his outdoor artwork had become.
It’s too bad no one considered posing with their arms apart as if they were Poseidon and the great white shark was his pet. But regardless, people treat this massive made-over stone like it was Disney World.
People get to recreate their favorite scenes from popular shark-related movies or they come up with their own ways to look surprised as the great shark seems to descend on them to make them its latest meal.
Unfortunately, Swift has to give the shark some maintenance every now and then because the elements do a real number on the water-based spray paint he uses. As you can see from this photo, the shark’s features have practically faded away.
The elephant was 3 times as large as the shark so it took him approximately 2 hours to complete and it’s very lifelike. But sadly, it doesn’t seem to be getting as much attention as the great white shark he painted on the beach.
It looks like greeting the creature like Mr. Spock and saying “live long and prosper” is the first step. But if that doesn’t work, you can always try a good old mind-meld to keep the shark from gobbling you up or any of the other swimmers.
