Parents Let 5-Year-Old Daughter Swim with Sharks

While on vacation in Nassau, Bahamas, parents Elana and David Barnes took a video of five-year-old Anaia on a snorkeling trip where she swam with sharks, reports ABC News. They then posted it on YouTube to share with family and friends. Since then, the video has gone viral and has provoked a wide range of responses, from the utterly disapproving to the surprisingly supportive of the parents’ decision (comments have since been disabled by the Barnes).

Plus: Swim Safety for Kids

The first part of the video shows a man throwing cut fish into the water feeding a frenzy of sharks. You hear mom, Elana, say to her daughter, “I don’t want you in the water until they are done feeding the sharks. ‘Cause the sharks are hungry and you have to wait until they are full.”

Plus: Olympic Swimmer Cullen Jones on Nearly Drowning as a Child

After a few minutes, the video cuts to the family snorkeling in the water, where they see a shark that has a rope in its mouth, apparently still connected from an earlier part of the event. 

Plus: How to Make a Super Cool Shark Birthday Cake

Check out the video below, and tell us: would you let your five-year-old swim with sharks?