It was a battle of the bites.
Tourists on an excursion boat sailing past a private island in the Bahamas got a surprise when they spotted a hammerhead shark in the water — but were doubly shocked when a daring dog jumped in to confront the massive creature.
“Whether he wanted to protect his island or just wanted to play with what looked to him like a really big fish in the water, he just went after it,” Rebecca Lightbourn, reservation manager at boat-operator Exuma Water Sports, told The Post.
The pup paddled around for about two and a half to three minutes, and managed to chase away the unsuspecting and confused shark, who had “no idea what was attacking him,” Lightbourn said.
The tour company posted a video of the Feb. 15th event, where screams and pleas from passengers telling the dog to turn back can be heard.
Hammerhead sharks can range from 12 to 18 feet long and weigh about 180-pounds.
The brazen pooch, a domesticated stray Bahamian Potcake, is the pet of the caretaker who manages the private island, 20 minutes north of Great Exuma.
The property is owned by a sole inhabitant, whose name Lightbourn would not disclose.
Since the four-legged creature always greets their passing tour boats, he has been incorporated into its excursions.
“The dog always comes running out to just chase the boat and say hello,” Lightbourn said. “And it’s sort of become a part of the tour, that we always wave to the dog as we go past.”
On Wednesday, however, the 30 guests and two crew members aboard were provided with extra entertainment after they spotted the shark in the water.
“We had slowed down in order to give the guests a look, and the shark meandered its way over to the shore and at the same time that we were all looking at the shark, the dog also noticed the shark,” she explained.
The tropical area surrounding the private island is inhabited by “the rich and famous,” with notable names like Johnny Depp, Tyler Perry and David Copperfield owning homes there.
The company always makes it a point to “slow down as part of the excursion, just to point out and talk about private islands that are owned by celebrities,” she said.