Orlando Bloom encounters great white shark in unnerving video

Great white sharks are one of nature's most featured creatures thanks to Jaws, and in a scene straight out of a remake, one was once encountered by Orlando Bloom.

However, unlike the actor's previous nail-biting scenes on water, this encounter didn't have the luxury of a Hollywood film crew to ensure his safety.

The unbelievable incident took place while the Pirates of the Caribbean star, now 45, was paddle-boarding in the sea.

The footage shows the actor doing his thing while a great white shark swims majestically below him, at one point getting alarmingly close to his paddle-board.

Bloom subsequently shared the jaw-dropping footage on his Instagram at the time of the incident last September, admitting that 'fear' was his 'friend' as he got up close and personal with Jaws.

The actor said the otherwise stunning aerial footage was captured by a photographer called Carlos, who uses the handle @themalibuartist.

Carlos is no stranger to filming sharks interacting with people and said the process of capturing it on film is a 'curious' one - no doubt because of the fearsome reputation of these apex predators.

He added in a post on his own page: "I do enjoy the look in people's eyes when I let them know they were next to a great white shark.

"Usually it's somewhat of a surprised reaction sprinkled with a little bit of fear. But more and more I’m seeing folks happy and asking questions about them."

Instagram / Orlando Bloom

As you can imagine, the post went far from unnoticed by Bloom's fans on Instagram.

While some found it 'amazing' to see Will Turner get so close to one of nature's most featured creatures, others found it 'crazy' or 'insane' that he was willing to even put himself in that position.

Some also wondered what Katy Perry would think of her child's father getting quite so close to a predator.

While the shark in the footage looks big, Carlos explained that in reality, it was just a baby - or, more specifically, a 'nicely sized juvenile white shark'.

The photographer said that he hopes that the footage - which, while unsettling, is ultimately a peaceful watch - will help to change the narrative around sharks.

Carlos said we can 'start changing the perception of these beautiful creatures' if people see 'just how often these sharks co-exist with us.'

On that note, it's also worth noting that contrary to what Hollywood depicts, shark attacks on humans are actually incredibly rare.

One report noted that just 10 people die, on average, from shark attacks every year, while a more significant 150 are killed by falling coconuts.