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Great white shark smashes open diver's cage - with a diver still inside

Incredible footage has emerged of a great white shark smashing through a diving cage and leaping out the top - with a diver still inside.

The video was shot by the father of two 'All-American boys from California' who post their adventures on social media.

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Shark smashes through dive cage

A great white shark crashes through a dive cage, with a diver inside, off Guadalupe Island, Mexico.

"This is not our usual kids content and [we] did not go on this trip, this video is from my trip to Guadalupe Island," the childrens' father wrote in the video's Youtube description, telling the story of what happened.

"On a recent great white shark cage diving trip we experienced a very rare event, a shark breaching the side of the cage. What might appear to be an aggressive great white shark trying to attack the cage, this is not the case.

"These awesome sharks are biting at large chunks of tuna tied to a rope. When a great white shark lunges and bites something, it is temporarily blinded. They also cannot swim backwards. So this shark lunged at the bait, accidentally hit the side of the cage, was most likely confused and not able to swim backwards, it thrust forward and broke the metal rail of the cage."

The Great White smashes through the diving cage.
The Great White smashes through the diving cage. Photo: @GabeAndGarrott

The video is terrifying and enthralling to watch - all the more so when you see the diver who was inside the shattered cage eventually emerge from the water, shaken but unhurt.

"There was a single diver inside the cage. He ended up outside the bottom of the cage, looking down on two great white sharks. The diver is a very experienced dive master, remained calm, and when the shark thrashed back outside the cage, the diver calmly swam back up and climbed out completely uninjured," the father said.

The diver master emerges from the shark cage - shaken but unhurt.
The diver master emerges from the shark cage - shaken but unhurt. Photo: @GabeAndGarrott

"The boat crew did an outstanding job, lifting the top of the cage, analysing the frenzied situation, and the shark was out after a few long seconds."

Not to be deterred by the experience, everyone on the boat went back in to the shark cages the next day to continue the close encounters. 

"I want to return next year for another great white shark adventure!" the cameraman wrote.