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Chilling Footage Shows Great White Shark Lurking Beneath Unsuspecting Surfers

Chilling Footage Shows Great White Shark Lurking Beneath Unsuspecting Surfers

The National Subsea Research Initiative has issued a warning to all bathers, paddlers, body borders and surfers to be cautious

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

This drone footage shows the moment a great white shark was swimming around directly beneath a group of unsuspecting surfers:

The animal can be seen lurking around the six surfers and a single kayaker, none of whom appear to have any idea - at first - that it's right under their feet.

According to The Mirror, the footage was shot by a teenager who was using a drone at Plettenberg Bay in Western Province, South Africa.

Reports suggest the water was just six foot deep as the surfers tried to catch a wave. Around 20 seconds into the footage, two of the surfers can be seen moving away at speed but it seems this is the result of a wave.

Just seconds later, the kayaker seems to spot the fin of the dangerous fish and realises the danger beneath.

NSRI

Reports add that the boy filming then got his dad to alert life guards who were watching over the area, who began to clear the beach and entered the water to help the group.

The youngster that shot the footage said: "We normally fly the drone to capture nature and I saw the shark and followed it. When I saw how close it had got the surfers I told my dad to go get them out of the water.

"He was on his way to get them out but by then the shark was moving quite fast - when the shark had actually gone underneath their boards the Sea Rescue hadn't arrived yet.

"It was really scary standing there with the remote control, watching this shark heading towards the surfers. You don't really know what to do in that situation and I just kept on filming it."

NSRI

Now the NSRI is appealing to surfing enthusiasts to be cautious along the Southern Cape coastline and the Eastern Cape coastline, in particular around the coastlines of Plettenberg Bay and between Mossel Bay and Jeffreys Bay, due to a high number of reported shark sightings and close encounters.

Sarah Waries of City of Cape Town Shark Spotters programme has told the NSRI: "The behaviour seen in this drone footage shows that the shark is aware of the surfers and is investigating the surfers.

"It is important for people to remember that white sharks are naturally inquisitive apex predators and that although shark bites are rare, water users must understand the inherent risk associated with sharing the ocean with these animals and change their behaviour accordingly to avoid encountering sharks."

Featured Image Credit: Twitter/NSRI

Topics: News, Animals, shark