Meet the man who pats tiger sharks while sitting on a whale

Brave may just be the word for a conservationist who was snapped stroking the heads of tiger sharks that were feeding on the carcass of a dead whale in Perth, Western Australia.

Images of Leon Deschamps reaching out and patting a deadly tiger shark in the middle of a feeding frenzy while sitting on the whale were taken, hoping they would bust "myths" about the sharks being blood-thirsty, man-eating monsters.

"Tiger sharks are not aggressive and I thought the most effective way to demonstrate that would be by throwing ourselves into the middle of a feeding frenzy," News.com.au quoted Deschamps as saying.

"They were so sedate in their movements and were far from aggressive despite it being a time when they are supposed to be at their most ferocious.

"I think they enjoyed the experience," Deschamps, who has been working with sharks for most of his 32-year life, added.

But a Department of Environment and Conservation spokesman warned: "This is highly irresponsible and dangerous behaviour and puts peoples lives at risk."