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(CNN) -
Photographer Jalil Najafov's first thought when he saw the great white shark was, "Is that real?"
It was August 2019 and Najafov, a shark enthusiast, conservationist, and filmmaker, was exploring the coast of Mexico with some friends.
The group spotted a great white shark swimming near their boat.
This was already exciting to begin with.
Then the group realized that the shark had a mysterious bite mark on its side.
"I was very surprised, since I had never seen anything like this in my life," Najafov told CNN Travel today.
"The bite mark was so big on a huge shark."
The Azerbaijan-born shark conservationist and filmmaker dived into the waters, armed with his GoPro7 water camera, to capture a shot of the large fish with the bite.
He shared one of the resulting photographs on his Instagram account for the first time in late December 2021.
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Najafov explains that he had misplaced his memory card after the trip to Mexico and that it wasn't until recently that he rediscovered the photos.
Najafov knew the image was exciting.
"I have been working with sharks and content about them for many years, I have a lot of experience in this field," says Najafov.
"It is clear to me when I am faced with something unusual, I have never seen such a large shark scar."
Origin of the scar
Najafov's photo of the great white shark has attracted wide attention.
Credit: @jalilnajafov
The photo, which Najafov uploaded to Instagram as a video focusing on the mysterious bite, went viral.
The answer, in Najafov's words, was "crazy" as people theorized about the origin of the scar.
Before publishing it, Najafov turned to friends and fellow shark experts for feedback.
Scientist Dr. Tristan Guttridge, who runs the marine nonprofit Saving the Blue and has hosted Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, dismissed the theory that the shark was bitten in a mating act.
"I would rule out mating probably due to position, as the wound appears to be quite healed and while mating scars can be unsightly, they are more superficial than that," was Guttridge's input, according to Najafov.
Najafov says Guttridge concluded that the shark was most likely attacked by another shark.
Najafov says that Michael Domeier, another friend and former Shark Week host, who is also director of the Institute of Marine Conservation Sciences, said he was "sure this was competitive assault" and added that the scar would have cured since then, becoming indistinguishable.
This is the impressive bite mark the photographer found on the great white shark.
@jalilnajafov
The importance of sharks
Najafov worked for the Azerbaijani government for several years before his passion for sharks caused him to change course.
Its objective is to make sharks known and highlight their important role in the planet's ecosystem.
"There is no ocean without sharks, and no oxygen without the ocean. So if we save sharks, we save the planet," says Najafov, who is concerned about the threat posed by the fin trade.
Sharks have evolved over millions of years as superior predators, but they are no match for humans
For some, Najafov's image of the great white with the alarming bite has a scare factor appeal.
But Najafov insists he has never been afraid to dive alongside these creatures.
"I love sharks and absolutely enjoy them while diving," he says.
"Sharks are not monsters!"
According to Najafov, there is a misconception about the danger posed by sharks.
"The oceans are home to about 500 different species of sharks, but a dozen of them are known to be potentially dangerous to humans," he says.
Najafov's Instagram account features amazing photos of other shark species taken around the world and the photographer promises he has "tons of amazing shark content yet to be posted."
He also has upcoming trips to Mexico and the Maldives planned for 2022.
"I can't wait to dive into the water and share my experience," he says.
White shark viral photo