Share

Leonardo DiCaprio recalls shark encounter in Cape Town

Los Angeles - Leonardo DiCaprio is terrified of sharks after getting trapped in a cage with one.

The Wolf of Wall Street star has revealed a "gigantic great white" tried to attack him when a shark cage diving expedition went horribly wrong in Cape Town, South Africa in 2006, while he was on a break from filming Blood Diamond.

The 39-year-old actor recalled the encounter during an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Tuesday: "I had a huge fear of sharks, and when I did Blood Diamond in 2006 I actually got stuck in a cage with a great white, which was awesome.

"It was a gigantic great white ... They actually said in 30 years this has never happened, but the tuna kind of got stuck on the top of the cage and the great white leapt out and tried to bite it and went into the cage with me.

"Half of its body was in and out, and I flattened down at the bottom, and it was this far away, and it chomped a few times but I survived it."

Leonardo was invited on the expedition by an organisation devoted to protecting sharks but admitted it left him mentally scarred.

He said: "I don't want to do that anymore, but I don't want to discount their work because they're doing great stuff. But it was absolutely terrifying."

Watch Leonardo's interview here:



We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE