Anderson Cooper Goes Free Diving with White Sharks

Now that the 2008 presidential election is part of history, CNN's Anderson Cooper is apparently looking for a more dangerous way to get some attention.

CNN reported that the star anchor, who has been with CNN since 2001, swam with great white sharks in a place off the coast of South Africa known as "shark alley." He did it as a part for a report he's working on for the series, Planet in Peril: Battle Lines. The show will air Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on CNN.

"We had the opportunity to go cage diving and also to go free diving with the sharks, which is a pretty rare thing. There's not many people on the planet who actually do it, probably for very smart reasons," said Cooper in the show, American Morning, on Thursday.

Cooper decided to report on the practice of shark tourism, a business that brings over $30 million per year to South Africa, because of its controversial nature. "There is a big controversy over whether or not these cage tour operators are actually changing sharks' behavior," said Cooper. CNN reported that swimmers and surfers in the area believe that shark tourism may be causing more attacks by great white sharks.

Still, Cooper will show the world how he went free diving with these creatures. He concluded it was "among the most remarkable experiences of my life."