The documentary, which aired on BBC1 last night, explored why the creatures may choose to attack humans, with experts suggesting hungry sharks are hunting for prey they would not normally eat.

During the film, British scuba diver Dan White recalled the moment he was diving in Egypt when he saw a member of his group being bitten in a ferocious attack.

After the shark grabbed hold of the diver's leg, Dan recalled: 'There was a big plume of blood in the water...Another diver started screaming. You could hear her screaming. It was horrifying to listen to.'

However many viewers confessed they were less than sympathetic towards the divers, with one saying: 'Sometimes humans aren't meant to be so adventurous, we don't need to see and explore everything or dive to depths or even go snorkelling or scuba diving because we think it's exciting.

'We're not entitled to every thrill we want.'  

Another added: 'Afraid I have little/no sympathy for any people who get in the water and into the sharks home.' 

'#WhySharksAttack...because we're invading their bloody space. Leave them alone,' another wrote.

'People and divers thinking they can just enter the water in droves and not get attacked,' one commented. 'Not sharks fault at all.'

During the episode, British diver Dan explained his attraction to diving with the animals.

He explained: 'For thrill seekers like myself, it's a big attraction. Seeing something you know could do potential damage and being one to one with that creature in the water...

'It's like you are there in the partnership, seeing something in its natural habitat.'

Dan said: 'We were only around 5 metres deep, swimming around and seeing what we could find. 

'Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a dark shadow and I turned to see what it was and it was an oceanic white tipped shark.

Dan's footage showed the shark swimming above the group, before he moved closer to a number of divers not far from Dan.

'He came down to the diver's level and started investigating. 

It took a great interest in the male diver. It was trying to bite fins, the diver was kicking it off.

'The shark disengaged from the male diver in one group and took his interest in another diver.'

Dan explained: 'He bit onto the divers leg, latched on and they ended up going end to end, almost like a cartwheel.

'It was crazy, it wouldn't let go for what felt like forever and it ended up tearing off his calf muscle in the leg.'

After the incident, a terrified Dan said he was keen to 'get out of the water quickly'.

The victim was given emergency first aid on the dive boat and taken to hospital where his leg was saved. 

Elsewhere in the documentary, experts suggested the attacks may be happening as hungry sharks are hunting for prey they would not normally eat. 

Despite shark numbers declining in many parts of the world, attacks aren't going down. Scientists believe this is because of an increasing number of people in the water.