- Aquatic creatures photographed catching wave near Tweed Heads, Queensland
- Surfer looked on as he paddled just metres away not knowing what they were
- Internet divided over whether they were sharks or dolphins
A photo of dark shapes lurking beneath the waves on a Queensland beach is dividing the internet over whether they are sharks or dolphins.
The picture snapped at Duranbah Beach near Tweeds Heads on Friday showed a young surfer paddling metres from the aquatic animals.
Speculation immediately began on social media as to what they were, with just as many people convinced they were sharks as dolphins.
A photo of dark shapes lurking beneath the waves on a Queensland beach is dividing the internet over whether they are sharks or dolphins
Some pointed to the shape of the closest animal’s tail as proof it was a shark as it appeared to have a distinctive barb shape
Some pointed to the shape of the closest animal’s tail as proof it was a shark as it appeared to have a distinctive barb shape.
But others pointed out the water was distorting the shape and the shark-light tail was just an optical illusion.
‘Very hard to tell, although dolphins have [a] sleek line to their bodies this doesn’t look all that sleek but again the water distortion makes it hard,’ one undecided user said.
Other pointed out that the animals appeared to be riding the wave and swimming together, which would be odd behaviour for a trio of sharks.
Speculation immediately began on social media as to what they were, with just as many people convinced they were sharks as dolphins
‘You don’t see sharks catching waves. These 3 dolphins are clearly catching the undercurrent of the wave and surfing it,’ another said.
Sea World tried to put an end to the debate, definitively stating they were dolphins not sharks, and the tail was distorted by the water.
That didn’t appear to satisfy those who were convinced of the opposite, with one writing: ‘SeaWorld might want to re-train whoever said that’s a dolphin’.