Australia's one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Sure, you could spend your whole vacation getting drunk in Sydney and Melbourne with the laid-back locals (and maybe a few bogans). But you'd be cheating yourself if you didn't take the chance to experience nature: a hot air balloon ride over the stunning Outback desert, the trippy colors that bath the red rock Uluru at sunset, a snorkeling odyssey at the Great Barrier Reef, which boasts 1,500 species of tropical fish.

But the worst part about Australia is that everything there is trying to kill you. The desert is teeming with poisonous snakes and the oceans are home to a variety of dangerous creatures. Yes, shark attacks are rare, with most of the fear fanned by the media and blockbuster horror movies (Jaws, Open Water, The Meg). But rare doesn't mean never, and if you're hand-feeding sharks from a boat, you are really testing fate.

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Melissa Brunning is from Perth, and went on vacation in Dugong Bay, which is located in the far northwest of Australia. While cruising on her friend's sweet yacht, they decided to feed the Tawny nurse sharks loitering by the back of the boat. It will not surprise to learn this was a bad idea. One of the hungry predators clamped down on Melissa's finger, yanking her into the water, with a suction "like a Hoover" vacuum.

Luckily, Melissa escaped the water and returned to the boat before the shark could come back for the seconds. The shocking yet not so shocking incident was captured on video, and went viral. In an interview with 7 News Sydney, Melissa described the experience:

"It happened so quickly. All I could really focus on was the fact that my finger is gone. It clamped on it and it felt like it was shredding off the bone. I came up and I was like, ‘I’ve lost my finger.’ I couldn’t even look at the finger because I thought if I looked at it and saw it again, I’d probably go into shock."

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Melissa's finger remained attached, so she was able to keep it. However, she waited too long to get medical treatment, thinking the wound would heal on its own. The 34-year-old tourist developed a nasty infection and and had to get surgery. But in end, she'll be okay. In an interview with Perth News, she said it was totally her fault.

"It’s not the shark’s fault at all, but it could have been a lot worse. This is not a shark attack, this is just a blonde doing a stupid thing. I’m not a shark victim ... I have full respect for sharks, I think they’re incredible. I’ve always had the opinion that when you’re in the water, they’re top of the food chain, it’s their domain."

So, if you go Australia, remember: Don't hand-feed the sharks.

(For the record, according to According to Shark Attack Data, there have been 114 unprovoked shark attacks since 1900. 27 of those attacks were fatal, and 87 were not fatal.. An additional 60 shark attacks were considered to have been provoked.)

A mom has spoken of her terror as she watched a shark circle her daughter while she played in the water.

Per KHON2 News, despite being just a few feet away from the shore, six-year-old Anela Rezentes came within inches of the shark during a day out to Oahu's Kalama Beach in Hawaii on Sunday, May 2.

Footage sees that young girl darting out of the water towards her mom Sheri Gouveia, who at that point was none the wiser. A while after, Gouveia spotted the shark circling her daughter in the video, and as she watched the encounter - her "soul left [her] body".

Speaking to KHON2 News, Gouveia described the fear she felt when she saw the predator in the video: "My soul left my body. I saw the shark. I didn’t notice it was behind my back, so I really wanted to run out. I was really scared."

She went on: "By the time she came out of the water, she was hysterical that there was a shark in the water. I was like 'Oh my gosh', so I ran up and looked for it and I couldn't see it.

"I realized it was actually a shark. That's what shocked me. The gentleman behind her was like 'Did you see it' and I said 'No I didn't' but I caught it on camera."

Speaking to Good Morning America, Gouveia recalled how she "dropped everything" and when her young daughter informed her of the terrifying incident. However, the mom still wasn't able to see the creature for herself.

She added: "I’m just so glad that she left there that day with all 10 fingers on two hands. I guess there really are angels looking over my angel."

According to KHON2 News, experts believe the animal in the video was a blacktip shark, which is known to swim in shallow waters as it searches for baitfish. The experts say that the animal would have hunting fish while it was circling Anela.

Featured image credit: Reinhard Dirscherl / Alamy

A terrifying encounter at Cabarita Beach in northern New South Wales, Australia, saw a 16-year-old surfer viciously mauled by a shark, only to be pursued by the predator as rescuers rushed him to safety, the New York Post reports.

Emergency services were called to the popular beach just before 4PM on Sunday following reports of a serious shark attack.

The nearly seven-foot predator, believed to be a bull shark, launched a brutal assault on the teen, causing severe injuries to his leg, hand, and arm. Reports say one of his arms was left hanging on by a shred of sinew, per News.com.au.

Dramatic footage from the scene captured the horrifying aftermath. Fellow beachgoers are seen hauling the boy out of the water while the shark’s massive dorsal fin cuts through the surf just behind them. Shouts and screams can be heard as chaos unfolds on the shoreline.

In the video, one frightened onlooker can be heard exclaiming: "Oh my God, that's the shark."

Another voice adds: "Oh f**! That's really scary!"*

Despite the danger, rescuers continued to carry the boy out of the water, using a surfboard as an improvised stretcher.

Fortunately, an off-duty paramedic was nearby and quickly stepped in, applying a tourniquet to stem the heavy bleeding.

One of the brave beachgoers who ran to help after hearing the teen’s screams was 39-year-old Brazilian surfer Thiago Collel.

Recalling the ordeal, he told Daily Mail: "When I got to the shore, he had been dragged in by a group of people including an off-duty paramedic who happened to be walking on the beach at the time.

"His bicep was destroyed - you could see all the muscle, flesh and bone.

"He lost a scary amount of blood. I was covered in it."

Collel said the group worked together to keep the boy calm while waiting for emergency services. "We were just trying to keep him calm, holding his head and making sure he was okay.

"I just kept talking to him and he told me how he fought off the shark by kicking and punching it away."

The teen was eventually airlifted by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter to Gold Coast University Hospital, where he remains in serious but stable condition, per Stab Mag.

A second helicopter was dispatched in an effort to locate the shark but was unsuccessful.

While the exact species of shark hasn’t been confirmed, many locals believe it was a bull shark. Some have raised concerns it could have been a two-metre-long great white.

Featured image credit: Ullstein bild / Getty Images.

A mother who suffered life-threatening injuries in a shark attack off the coast of Australia has spoken for the first time since being brought out of a medically induced coma.

Leah Stewart, a 34-year-old teacher and mom, was attacked while swimming near Sydney’s Coogee Beach on June 13. After more than a week in intensive care, multiple surgeries, and days on life support, her family has shared a hopeful update on her condition.

The breakthrough came on June 23 when doctors were able to extubate Stewart and reduce her sedation levels for the first time since the attack. According to her brother, Joshua Stewart, the move allowed her to briefly wake and interact with loved ones gathered at her bedside.

Leah Stewart. Credit: GoFundMe

First words bring hope to family

In an update posted to a GoFundMe page, Joshua described the emotional moment.

“This allowed Leah to share her first words ‘I love you’ with her Mum and partner Fernando who have been by her side in ICU since the incident,” Joshua wrote. "Leah’s first thought was of her 1-year-old daughter, August, and she immediately asked if she was okay."

He added: “This is a lot faster than anyone expected,” he continued, “and for us this feels like a miracle and is everything so many of us have hoped and prayed for over the past week.”

The update marks a significant step forward for Stewart, who remains in critical care following the devastating attack.

A long recovery still lies ahead

According to information previously shared by her family, Stewart sustained severe injuries during the attack, including multiple bites to her arms and legs. One of her arms was amputated, and she also suffered “lacerations and fractures throughout her body, and extreme blood loss.”

A friend was caring for Stewart’s toddler on the beach when the attack occurred. Her partner, Fernando, was overseas for work at the time, according to the family’s fundraiser.

Following the incident, Joshua wrote: “As a family, we are shocked and devastated that this could happen to our beloved partner, daughter, and mother who is so full of life and energy.”

Coogee Beach is one of Australia's most popular swimming spots. Credit: James D. Morgan/Getty Images

Community rallies around shark attack survivor

While Stewart remains in the ICU and faces additional surgeries in the weeks ahead, support for her recovery has poured in from both her local community and strangers around the world.

As of June 24, the family’s GoFundMe campaign had raised nearly AUD $498,000 (approximately USD $343,500) to help cover her ongoing care and recovery.

Joshua said the recent interaction with his sister has given the family renewed optimism.

“Leah has a long road ahead and still remains in critical care,” he wrote, “but this is such a positive first step and gives us hope for Leah’s long-term recovery.”

Featured image credit: GoFundMe