MAN PUNCHES SHARK IN THE FACE, SNAPS PHOTO

Kris Kerr and his buddy Ethan Wilson were out near Florida's Smyrna Beach -- the shark bite capital of the world -- over the weekend. Kerr was in the water taking photos of his friend surfing when he found himself facing a shark. After some quick thinking he managed to punch the shark and snap a picture of the encounter.

In an exclusive interview on "The Early Show" Kerr said he "definitely was not expecting" to come home with a picture like that on his camera.

He explained, "I had always claimed that if a shark did charge me, that I would, in fact, get a picture. And then hit it as hard as I could. And luckily, I didn't blow it when it did happen."

Kerr was not hurt in the incident. "Early Show" co-anchor Erica Hill congratulated Kerr on his photo, which may appear in an upcoming issue of Surfer Magazine.  Kerr said he and his friends "always talk about stuff" that could happen in the water.

"We do, me and my friends (talk), just anticipating something ridiculous happening."

Kerr said his father gave him some advice if he ever did encounter a shark: "My dad always claims -- he watched the Discovery Channel special where they're chumming up the great whites by the boat, they tickle them under the nose and they go docile, they roll over. He says, 'Do that and if that doesn't work, punch them as hard as you can.'"

Wilson said when he saw his friend, he thought he was being attacked.

"I thought my friend was going to die," he said. "But, I mean, once I'd seen he was OK and swimming toward shore, I mean, I didn't really know what to think until I saw the picture."

But Kerr's mom didn't have such a feeling of relief. Kerr said, "Right when I got back, I hadn't actually seen the photo until I took it out of my (case for the camera.) Of course, you know, I'm telling her, 'Well, mom, you know, a shark came pretty close to me.' I didn't even want to tell her at first. And then she sees the picture and just starts bawling her eyes out. I felt so bad."

Hill replied, "Mothers everywhere are cringing and incredibly happy you're here to tell your story this morning."

Both Kerr and Wilson say they "definitely" plan to go back into the water.


/CBS News/