Watch: Spearfisherman comes face-to-face with a great white shark

While spearfishing off the Outer Banks, David Scherrer encountered a great white shark and, initially, thought it was cool. But then the shark turned and swam right for him.

Scherrer, working for Virginia Beach Seafood Co., was with other spearfishermen 20 miles off North Carolina. Scherrer was 50 feet down when the great white shark began swimming parallel to him at a distance, as reported by The Virginia-Pilot.

“At first, I thought it was awesome,” Scherrer, 22, told The Pilot. “It’s a pretty unique experience just to see one, but as it started going towards me it wasn’t so cool anymore.”

The entire time, Scherrer had his speargun pointed at the shark. Someone on <a href="

Scherrer’s description on Facebook was slightly different. He wrote, “2 things going through my mind as it came at me. 1. Hold your ground/don’t panic; 2. WHERE DO I STAB THIS THING”

Fortunately, it turned away and Scherrer hurriedly kicked to the surface.

Also on FTW Outdoors: 1,200-pound great white shark proves too erratic to tag for research

Scherrer told The Pilot that from his experience it’s unusual for a shark to swim directly at a diver, though some shark species are known to be more aggressive.

“Normally when that happens, things end a bit more dramatically,” he told The Pilot.

Fortunately, this encounter ended calmly, and the divers all decided to exit the water.