Tiger sharks, the "ocean's garbage disposals," are known for eating just about anything that comes their way, no questions asked.
So, there was no doubt about the tiger shark's intentions when it targeted Luke.
Was the tiger shark's attack dangerous?
Not at all!
After all, a tiger shark's size is nowhere near that of a great white. The great white they'd just encountered was a massive 21 feet long and weighed over 3 tons. This tiger shark? A mere 11.5 feet and 600 kilograms.
The two weren't even in the same league when it came to fighting power.
So, if Luke could handle a great white without a scratch, this tiger shark didn't stand a chance.
Repeating the same moves he'd used on the great white would've been a piece of cake for Luke.
But he wasn't interested in a repeat performance. Instead, he assembled the spear in his hands.
He was ready to take this tiger shark down for good!
Think about it: taking out a shark on camera? That's a massive selling point for any film. And the best part? Luke wasn't hunting for sport—he was acting in "self-defense," out of "necessity."
There's full behind-the-scenes footage to prove it.
If this had been a great white, Luke wouldn't have dared. Not because great whites are tougher, but because they're endangered, and killing one could spark a huge backlash from animal rights groups.
Tiger sharks, though? They're only listed as near-threatened.
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According to the IUCN conservation scale, animals are ranked from highest to lowest protection status: extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, near-threatened, and least concern.
Being near-threatened, tiger sharks get minimal protection and even less public attention.
So, Luke taking one out in "self-defense" wouldn't stir up much trouble.
All he had to do was grease a few palms and cozy up to the right animal rights organizations beforehand.
The payoff? Totally worth it. The publicity would be enough to make anyone's head spin.
By now, Luke had finished assembling his spear.
He gripped the specially designed underwater weapon tightly in both hands.
This was his ace in the hole against the tiger shark.
Going toe-to-toe with a 600-kilogram beast barehanded? Even with his current physical condition, that was a tall order. Taking down a tiger shark in the water was way tougher than fighting a tiger or lion on land.
Luke wasn't some legendary hero like Wu Song.
He scanned his surroundings, quickly spotting the tiger shark not far below him.
This shark was crafty. It seemed wary of the spear in Luke's hands.
So, it circled him, biding its time, looking for the perfect moment to strike.
"Luke, watch out! Tiger sharks love to attack from behind," Dr. Carl's voice crackled through his earpiece.
Luke gave an OK hand signal in response.
If the shark wanted to come from behind, he'd give it the chance.
So, when the tiger shark swam around to his back, Luke didn't turn to face it. Instead, he left his back wide open.
The film crew on the research vessel started to panic.
"What's Luke doing? We warned him about the shark's sneak attacks. Why isn't he being careful?" Depp said, clearly anxious.
"Trust Luke. He's got a plan," Annie replied.
"If that shark attacks from behind, he won't have time to turn and thrust the spear. The water's resistance will slow him down," Bob added, sounding worried.
"Luke, be careful! The tiger shark's coming!" Dr. Carl warned again, spotting the shark's attack posture.
Luke gripped his spear, hyper-focused on the subtle changes in the water around him.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp disturbance in the current behind him.
Here it comes!
In one fluid motion, Luke raised the spear high above his head.
His waist twisted with explosive force as he thrust the spear backward in a lightning-fast arc.
Whoosh!
The move was a textbook backstab, executed with devastating precision.
What made it jaw-dropping was that Luke hadn't even turned around yet—the spear was already streaking toward its target.
The speed, the ruthlessness, the uncanny timing and angle—it was a lethal strike.
Luke's spear, like a dragon in flight, plunged straight toward the tiger shark's head.
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If you had a magnifying glass, you'd see the spear's surface enveloped in a layer of tiny bubbles.
These bubbles negated the water's resistance, making Luke's backstab lightning-fast.
The supercavitation effect turned his strike into something terrifyingly deadly.
Thud!
The spearhead buried itself deep in the tiger shark's forehead, piercing straight through its small brain.
With its central nervous system destroyed, the shark twitched a couple of times before going limp.
Thud!
Luke yanked the spear out of the shark's head.
Blood poured from the wound, staining the surrounding water red.
Standing in the crimson tide, Luke looked absolutely formidable, radiating an aura of deadly resolve.
"Good Lord! What just happened? One second, and the shark's done for?" Depp couldn't believe his eyes.
"That was insane! A 600-kilogram beast, taken out with one shot. The gap between people is just too much. Give me a harpoon gun, and I'm not even sure I could hit it," Dr. Carl said.
"Is Luke okay? That's a lot of blood!" Annie was more concerned about his safety.
"He's fine. Not a scratch on him. That backstab was just too perfect!" Bob replied.
"Man, oh man. Edit this into the movie alongside that shark-surfing scene from earlier, and if this film doesn't top next year's box office, I'll eat my camera!" Director Verbinski raved.
Luke, unaware of the crew's reactions, swam back toward the research vessel without looking back.
He wasn't about to stick around and attract more sharks with all that blood in the water.
Killing one tiger shark was enough. Any more would just cause unnecessary trouble.
When Luke climbed aboard the research vessel, he saw Dr. Carl still recording at the camera.
"That was a close one. Luke nearly got torn apart by that 600-kilogram monster…"
"But at the last second, he managed to save himself. He's still shaken…"
"Tiger sharks are ferocious and greedy predators. There are plenty of them, so they don't need much protection…"
Seeing a professional like Dr. Carl laying the groundwork to fend off any potential PR backlash, Luke felt reassured.
Leave the professional stuff to the professionals.
He sat down next to Director Verbinski. "Mission accomplished. Let's head back."