US man torments shark for a selfie

A US man has been filmed repeatedly lifting a shark out of the ocean in an attempt to take an extreme selfie.

Zane Rutt from Bel Air, Maryland posted a video to his Instagram account last week showing his controversial encounter with the man-sized ocean predator.

Rutt can be seen stalking the shark in waist-deep water before reaching down and triumphantly raising it for a friend to record.

The fishing enthusiast repeatedly dips the shark into the ocean to let it breath and pulls it out again, despite the animal's attempts to swim away.

Rutt's actions have received significant criticism online.

"I get it, but I really hope you're smart enough to throw these back. They're extremely beneficial and necessary to their ecosystems. Much more than yourself," wrote one user Instagram.

"Please can you just leave these beautiful creatures alone," wrote another.