When Terry Tufferson leapt from Jump Rock, a popular jumping spot in Sydney Harbour, Australia, he did not expect to come face to face with a great white shark. The first-person shark encounter went instantly viral, scooping up over 700,000 views in the first two days. Some viewers are skeptical of the video's authenticity (we'll let you decide if it's real or fake), but regardless, there are imporant lessons we can all learn from it regarding what not to do if you unexpectedly encounter a shark in the wild ...

1. DO NOT practice your dance moves, wave "hi" or flail around. 

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Image: Giphy

Splashing and irratic movements will only make you appear injured ... and the shark more likely to investigate.

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Image: Giphy

Instead, move gracefully and slowly. Avoid sudden movements and head back to the boat or shore. If you are in open water, locate your dive or swimming buddy and move towards them. 

Remember that you are in the shark’s domain, and it is not trying to eat you. In fact, according to shark scientist David Shiffman, more people are bitten by other people on the New York subway than are bitten by sharks each year.

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Image: Giphy

2. DO NOT shout. Now is not the time to have a nice scream.

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Sharks are curious creatures. Loud sounds and vibrations will only emphasize your presence as something strange in the water.

Instead, breathe deeply and slowly. The shark knows you are there – you don't need to say hello. 

3. DO NOT take your eyes off of the shark to tell your friends it's there. You can tell them about it later ... unless a sharknado has moved through, in which case, you should probably tell them now.

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Instead, make sure that you know where the shark is and what direction it's heading. Keeping an eye on it will give you time to react in the unlikely situation that the shark gets aggressive.