This Shark Loves Cuddling

Generally speaking, marine animals don't like to be touched but that's not always the case. In fact, professional diver Rick Anderson has a close friendship with a Port Jackson shark that constantly seeks out his pets and belly scratches.

It all started when he started trying to show his diving students how friendly sharks can be by playing with one freshly hatched shark. From that point on, whenever Anderson dived in those waters, the shark would find him and seek cuddles and scratches. This has gone on for seven years, "it got to the point that if I didn’t notice her, she would come out and tap me on the legs until I held out my arms for a cuddle, often to the amazement of my students," he says.

Of course Rick encourages other divers to be respectful of wild animals,"they’ll let you know if they don’t want to be handled," he says, adding, "If you touch some of them, you can also wipe off their protective layers of skin." So please, don't go running around trying to pet under water animals just because this shark is adorable.

You can read more about the shark and Rick and see more pictures on Buzzfeed.