Gripping drone footage filmed the moment a great white shark came a little too close to surfers at Tamarama Beach in Sydney.
Four sharks were spotted swimming near the popular beach in the city’s eastern suburbs on Tuesday morning.
Various videos, taken by owners of the app Drone Shark, show two grey nurse sharks, one hammerhead and one great white in close proximity to the beach.
Another two nurse sharks were also spotted near the beach on Wednesday morning.
Gripping drone footage filmed the moment a great white shark came a little too close to surfers at Tamarama Beach in Sydney
Four sharks were spotted swimming near the popular beach in the city’s eastern suburbs on Tuesday morning
Drone Shark App has been designed for surfers and reports on surf conditions, shark spotting and provides users with drone footage.
The company’s founder, Jason Iggleden, told Daily Mail Australia sharks have been more active because of the calm conditions, overcast weather and lots of school of salmon.
‘Sharks are early morning predators,’ said Mr Iggleden, ‘when the sun comes out they scoop out and disappear by 8am.’
Surfers were fairly relaxed about the two grey nurse sharks hanging out nearby on Tuesday morning.
But momentum switched when a great white shark came ‘charging from nowhere at the baitball’, according to the Drone Shark App.
Grey nurse sharks are generally harmless to humans and will only bite if they feel threatened.
More than 20 surfers were in the water but left as soon as the alarm was raised.
The drone videos captured the larger predator swimming through a ‘baitball’, a school of fish formed by gathering tightly together in a ball-like formation.
The drone videos captured the larger predator swimming through a ‘baitball’, a school of fish formed by gathering tightly together in a ball-like formation
After hearing the news of the great white shark, the surfers quickly evacuated the water at Tamarama (pictured)
On Tuesday morning, the drone shark app posted to their Instagram: ‘Well here it is guys our first GREAT WHITE SHARK encounter spotted early this morning at Tamarama beach Sydney Australia.
‘Lucky I had my eyes on the lookout and didn’t get carried away with the 2 Grey nurse Sharks and the Hammerhead smacking the huge salmon bait Ball.
‘Goes to show our system Drone Shark App works. Also thanks to the #bondilifeguards for their speedy appearance with the JetSki.’
The great white shark footage was uploaded to Instagram on Tuesday, and it has already chalked up more than 6,000 views online and attracted 15,000 visitors to the start-ups website.
‘There are skeptics saying there are shark nets out there but we don’t need nets, they don’t work and we don’t want to kill things,’ Mr Iggleden said.
‘What about the carbon emissions of the helicopters and the cost of the choppers flying over the surf? Instead of taxpayers paying for the choppers to spot the sharks, the surfers can fund their own safety through our app.’
Reed Plummer, a freelance photographer who runs the business Central Coast Drones, told Daily Mail Australia: ‘With the water getting warmer leading into summer they [sharks] often come in close to shore to feast on schools of fish.’
More than one third of shark attacks annually can be attributed to the great white shark which can weigh up to 3,000 kilograms.
There have been 23 shark attacks in 2018 across Australia, a rise from the 18 in 2017, according to the Australian Shark Attack File, Taronga Conservation Society Australia.
Aussies are advised to minimise their chances of encountering a shark at the beach by avoiding swimming at dawn and dusk, avoiding swimming at river mouths or in murky, discoloured waters and avoiding swimming in or around schools of baitfish.
The great white shark footage was uploaded to Instagram on Tuesday, and it has already chalked up more than 6,000 views online
More than one third of shark attacks annually can be attributed to the great white shark which can weigh up to 3,000 kilograms