Umdloti resident Jarid Norman (37) was caught in a case of mistaken identity when he was buzzed by a shark on April 14, leaving a tooth embedded in his head.

Norman and diving buddy Jonathan Greenway were out spearfishing and looking for crayfish at Selection Reef off of Umdloti.

“I had just speared a rock cod in a small cave and was in the process of subduing it when I felt a bump on my head,” said Norman.

Initially, he thought Greenway may have been washed towards him in the whitewater and bumped him with his weight belt or the back of his speargun.

“When I looked around I could see Jono (Greenway) pulling cray so I knew it couldn’t have been him. I spotted a little 1.3m grey reef shark swimming away and realised what had happened.”

The shark had sniffed an easy meal in the speared rock cod and tried to steal it, but the way Norman was positioned meant he was in the way.

“I pushed the rock cod towards the cheeky little shark in the end, that taxman always gets his share after all,” laughed Norman.

Although Norman has obviously felt the bump, he did not think that he was injured.

Greenway signaled to him, however, saying that there was a cut along his head and he was bleeding.

“It turns out that the shark had come towards me with his mouth open and left a little tooth in the side of my head.”

Norman, who has a degree in Marine Biology, said the tooth must have been damaged or close to falling out for it to actually dislodge in the impact.

When back on land, Norman pulled the tooth out in good spirits, singing along to the tune of the popular children’s song ‘Baby shark’.

“The biggest worry for me when I went to the doctor was that parts of the tooth had broken off into my head, but luckily it was just a jagged tooth.”

Norman has been diving and spearfishing for more than 25 years and has not been put off getting back into the water.

“If you want a bite of chocolate and you bite the wrapper, you don’t hate the wrapper. It was just a bit of mistaken identity,” concluded Norman.