DiCaprio Talks Shark Conservation, Recalls Terrifying Close Call

<p>Getty Images</p>
<p>Getty Images</p>

Leonardo DiCaprio took to Ellen DeGeneres' talk show to talk about shark conservation -- and to tell a harrowing shark story of his own.

The actor, who also mentioned he has a fear of sharks, said that he came up close and personal with one in Cape Town, South Africa, when he was shooting "Blood Diamond" in 2006. "I actually got stuck in a cage with a great white, which was...awesome."

click to play video

Of course, everything turned out fine -- he made it out alive. And now, DiCaprio sits on the board of the World Wildlife Fund, and his philanthropic foundation, called the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, has been working on issues like climate change, access to clean water, protecting biodiversity, oceans conservation and disaster relief.