WATCH: Underwater camera reveals what it's like to be hunted - and attacked - by a SHARK
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The terrifying power of sharks has been revealed in a stunning video where a great white attacks a robotic vehicle.
The Remus SharkCam was deployed off Mexico's Guadalupe Island to film the predators in the wild.
But the researchers hadn't banked on a shark feeling threatened by an intruder in its territory - and were stunned when on-board cameras recorded a formidable encounter.
A robotic vehicle off Mexico's Guadalup Island has been attacked by a shark (shown). The dramatic footage was captured by six cameras on the Remus SharkCam
The robotic vehicle was being operated by a research team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).
The cylinder-shaped vehicle has six cameras facing in all directions to provide a panoramic view of its environment.
It uses special acoustic tags to follow objects or animals in its vicinity.
'But the hunter soon became the hunted,' the video explains.
Remus was approached by a great white shark, which soon swam into it at high speed and began biting the vehicle.
During its attempt to eat the vehicle the shark closes a flap of skin over its eye known as the nictitating membrane to prevent any damage from flailing prey.
Once it realises the vehicle isn't food, however, it then merely considers it a threat.
In the video (shown) the shark tried to eat the robotic vehicle like it is a seal
When the shark realises the vehicle is not food it begins to attack it and mark its territory. The video could help reveal how sharks hunt in the water
It begins swimming past and ramming the vehicle, showing clear signs of a creature exhibiting territorial behaviour.
It lurks in the darkness before swimming up and attacking.
The researchers were surprised when the vehicle was pulled back out of the water only to find teeth marks all over it.
As one expert explains in the video, causing such damage would have required a great force.
'If you banged on it with a screwdriver you wouldn't get the same amount of damage' he said.
It's hoped the footage will help reveal details about shark strategies in hunting and interacting.
The shark lurks in the darkness before springing its attack upon the robotic vehicle
Six cameras on board Remus film a panorama of its environment, with the shark shown in the front-right here
An expert explains how the teeth marks they found would be hard to replicate with a screwdriver
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