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An up close look at the ocean's ultimate predator

Posted at 10:40 PM, Feb 17, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-18 10:58:47-05

With the engine throttling through the waters of the Jupiter Inlet, Bryce Rohrer heads out to chase sharks.

"It's still every day breaking the inlet is still, I'm excited, I'm still jacked up about it," Bryce says.

Bryce is a shark wrangler who runs Florida Shark Diving out of Jupiter

While many try to avoid shark infested waters, he took us to the heart of them.

RELATED: Read more sharks stories

"There have been great whites in this area that we're going to," Bryce says as we make the 30-minute trip offshore.

Bryce has made a career out of shark encounters.

He posts videos that get tens of thousands of hits online of his close encounters.

SHARK DIVING AND WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS AT ITS FINEST!!!CAGE DIVING AND FREEDIVING!!!Want to know what a trip with Florida Shark Diving is like? Check out this video to find out!For more information or to book a trip please email floridasharkdiving@gmail.com We can take you there!!! Sharks Every Trip!!!

Posted by Florida Shark Diving on Saturday, July 25, 2015

Don't think he's just a thrill-seeking adrenaline junky.

He wants to change how people see an animal with the reputation for scaring beachgoers.

"It's really important nowadays for people to be seeing these sharks for what they are and a good way to do that is get videos out there," Bryce says.

He also gets people without experience, like us, up-close.

"I have a crate full of tunas. I'm going to drop it down like 20 feet and all the sharks are going to circle around that crate," Bryce says.

We went into the water with just a wet suit and snorkel.

"Palm Beach County probably has the highest concentration of large sharks in the entire east coast,” Bryce says.

He tells people to go without the shark-proof cage strapped to the back of his boat because he's so confident we aren't on the menu.

"You guys have nothing to worry about as far as safety," he tells us.

Below the surface we found bull sharks and lemon sharks. Powerful animals that ripped apart the tuna we used to draw them close.

Shark diver Michael Dornellas made sure we were safe.

"They're not there to eat people, if they were they'd be following tourist migrations, not fish migrations," He says.

Bryce admits you need to be careful and follow any warnings that might be in place, especially during this time of year when thousands come close to shore.

"You need to leave your ego at the door and realize you're working with an animal that has the ability to harm you," Bryce says.

Bryce also wants people to see the beauty of an animal that lives in our backyard.

"They’re a top predator, top animal. It’s a privilege to be able to work with them," Bryce says.