VIDEO: Tourist is bitten by small shark while trying to take selfie

This baby shark was more than obliging in cracking a smile for its close-up.

A Brazilian tourist, whose name has not yet been released, has learned the hard way why she shouldn't grab a baby shark for any reason -- let alone a selfie.

The woman was walking along the beach on the Fernando de Noronha archipelago offshore of the Brazilian coast when she spotted a baby lemon shark.

RELATED: 8 crazy facts you didn't know about sharks

According to various reports, she grabbed the shark to take a selfie of herself with the underwater animal, until it snapped onto her hand.

Footage of the attack was captured on camera and later posted to Facebook. The clip shows the woman, who reports say is 35 years old, struggling to free her hand from the shark's clenching teeth. She is helped by someone in the video as the filming of the incident continues, reportedly by her boyfriend.

The shark releases its grip and launched back into the water after the woman struggled for several minutes.

According to the UK Express, the woman will need stitches for the injury.

She and her boyfriend were also reportedly fined over $6,000 and are currently facing animal cruelty charges.

Advertisement