Great White Shark Jumps on Board Researchers’ Boat [PHOTOS]

A field specialist and her crew in South Africa got a closer look at their subject on Monday when a three-meter great white shark leaped from the sea and into the boat they were traveling in. No one was injured.

Oceans Research Field Specialist Dorien Schroder, from Mossel Bay, and her six crew members were out at sea conducting research on sharks when the animal decided to pay them a visit.

The Oceans Research blog, Shark Chronicles, states that there was about five minutes of silence before the incident.

Next thing I know I hear a splash, and see a white shark breach out of the water from side of the boat hovering, literally, over the crewmember who was chumming on the boats portside, Schroder said describing the incident.

She quickly pulled the crewmember away into safety towards the stern of the boat where all other crewmembers joined them.

The 1,100-pound animal landed on top of the boat's fuel and bait storage containers. Only half of the shark's body landed onto the boat, according to the blog post.

The predator, which enjoys eating marine mammals, panicked because it couldn't make its way back to the water and it got stuck on the boat. The shark's thrashing around on deck destroyed equipment and cut the fuel lines, according to the blog.

The shark was lifted off the boat and into the water after the ship was towed into harbor. The crew had tried several times, with no success, to lift the animal off the boat while further at sea, but had to get additional help when they returned to the harbor.

Thirty minutes later the shark still found itself in difficulties when it wounded up on a small beach inside the harbor. They eventually had to tow the animal from the harbor because it couldn't orient itself while on the beach.