IT was a close encounter of the real kind when a Gold Coast dive instructor had his tank nibbled on by a 4.5m tiger shark.
Kirra Dive instructor Rudi Vir was leading a group of 14 divers on a shark feeding tour at Beqa Lagoon off Pacific Harbour recently when he felt something bump up against him from behind.
"I was kneeling on the sand bank and facing the feeding arena taking photographs when I felt myself going forward like something was pushing me," he said.
"I just thought it was one of the other divers trying to balance himself. I had no idea it was a shark."
It was only an hour later, when Mr Vir, 45, and his group surfaced did he realise what had caused the bump.
"When we came up to the surface one of the girls told me she had seen a tiger shark nudge me first but I did nothing because I didn't realise it was a shark," he said.
"Then she told me he bit my tank — probably because it is the same colour as his food — he nudged me a couple of times and took off to do his usual feeding."
Mr Vir said he initially couldn't believe the tale until a fellow diver produced a photo of the encounter, allowing him to put two and two together.
"If I had turned around and seen the shark I might have been a bit worried but I've dived there all my life and never had a fear of sharks, I've never had any close calls," he said.
Mr Vir, who grew up in Fiji and attended Marist Brothers High School, is familiar with the stunning Beqa Lagoon, a protected marine reserve for sharks which is touted as one of the best shark diving experiences in the world.
He said the tiger shark, which he photographed during the feed, was a beauty of a specimen at 4.5m long and in good condition, a rare gem of a sighting for a diver.
"This is a real dream shark to see when diving, if you see a tiger shark you know it was the best dive," Mr Vir said.
"I've lived on the Gold Coast for 12 years now and I've never seen one on a dive here.
"Tiger sharks are so graceful. If he wanted to attack me he could have but he was just playing around.
"There wasn't much damage just a couple of little bite marks on my regulator."
Kirra Dive is organising another trip to Beqa Lagoon next March.