He wrote on Facebook: “This devious girl – known by some as Jitterbug and by others as Buttface – grabbed Finch’s camera and was trying to get some selfies.”
Tiger sharks are known as unfussy eaters, with the stomach contents of captured animals revealing stingrays, seals, birds, car number plates and tyres.
Despite this, the shark spat out the mobile phone, which had been sealed in a waterproof case, and it was later retrieved when the coast was clear.
Kiefer added: “She grabbed it. Then chewed, dropped, grabbed again and dropped.”
Staff with Dolphin Dream Team, which organises tours to Tiger Beach in the Bahamas, have named some of the frequently spotted tiger sharks Jitterbug, Emma and Natalie.
In a post on social media, the team said “passengers and crew unite” to monitor Jitterbug and other tiger sharks in the area.
They added: “Being able to see the subtle differences in skin patterns or scars is for very trained eyes.”
Tiger sharks, also known as grey nurses or ragged-tooth sharks, are the second largest predatory shark species after the great white.
However, their undiscerning palate means they are less likely than great whites to swim away after biting a human.
The species, which can grow up to 25ft long, can be found in tropical and sub-tropical waters and are named after the dark stripes on juveniles which fade over time.
