Show me your 300 pearly whites: Diver gets up close and personal with group of deadly tiger sharks he now calls friends



Texan Eli Martinez has befriended the group of sharks in the Bahamas

He has visited Tiger Beach several times a year for a decade



Now able to identify individual sharks and perform a routine with them

Rolling underneath the brazen diver's hand, it looks as if this shark is enjoying itself so much it has even cracked a smile.

Luckily for diver Eli Martinez, the group of deadly tiger sharks has become so accustomed to his presence that they treat him as a plaything, rather than a snack.

The 41-year-old has learned how to coax the animals - one of the most dangerous shark species - into rolling over under his touch.

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Shark's grin: Eli Martinez, 41, interacts with one of the sharks at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas where he visits several times a year

After building up a relationship with the animals at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas, the animals now get so close to the diver that he can even rub his face against theirs.

The diver, from Alamo in Texas, USA, travels to the beach several times a year, having done so for a decade.

He always performs the same routine with the animals during the visits.

Amazingly, Mr Martinez said he can now identify individual sharks and says that they are also accustomed to his interaction.

But despite the amazing level of trust he employs to engage with the sharks, the diver says he never forgets what they are capable of and why they have a reputation as being one of the top predators in the world.

He said: 'They are wild animals so you can never get 100% comfortable - they are deserving of the respect the other divers and I show them.

Risky kiss: Mr Martinez has developed a routine during which the sharks roll under his touch after visiting the same diving location over ten years

Friends: The diver says that he can now identify individual sharks, having given them names like Hook and Alex

'I've been going to the same spot for the last 10 years and after a few repeat interactions they know the drill but I must not forget what they're capable of.'

"We're usually surrounded by two to four tiger sharks plus around 40 lemon sharks and close to 60 reef sharks - they're a bit smaller and more feisty but you have to respect them all the same.

He added: 'You can spot which one is which by their different markings. They have various scratches and scars so you see them all the time.'

He has named his favourite shark Hook, who he describes as 'one of my darlings', and says that another shark called Alex is often attracted to him.



He added: 'I'm able to get them to roll 180 degrees in the palm of my hand.

'They are really calm creatures unless they feel threatened so it's important none of us did anything to alarm them - they know we are not in the water to harm them.'

Intimate: Despite often getting close to the animals the diver says he still treats the animals with respect, saying he can 'never be 100 per cent comfortable'

Swarmed: The diver and other members of his group are surrounded by tiger sharks and lemon sharks