This is the shocking moment sharks leaped out of the water while to catch ‘hundreds of fish’ in a mad feeding frenzy.
Tara Savedge filmed the split-second encounter that happened just a short distance off the shoreline of North Myrtle Beach, in South Carolina.
She recounts grabbing her camera after spotting her husband made a ‘shark-fin with his hands over his head,’ just before 10.30am on Monday, WBTW reports.
The mom from Richmond, Virginia, watched ‘hundreds of fish’ fly into the air before they were snatched by around five sharks.
Lifeguards, who believed they were Spinner sharks, kept the area clear for an hour before allowing beach-goers to go back into the water.
Virginia mom Tara Savedge claims that around five sharks (above) jumped after ‘hundreds of fish’ as they eagerly tried to snag a meal
Moments after the sharks leaped above the water’s surface to catch the school of fish (above)
Savedge said: ‘It looked like hundreds of fish jumped up at once. We saw a whole bunch of fish jump and then the fins showed up right afterward.
‘We just couldn’t believe there were so many of them. It was really cool to see.’
In the footage captured by Savedge near to 52nd Avenue, the calm scenes of blue skies with light clouding was quickly disturbed by the attack.
‘There he was, there he was,’ she yelled as fish jumped above the surface. ‘Look, look, look at them. There are several of them.’
As the fish fell, the sharks eagerly leaped diagonally ready to feast on their next meal.
‘Oh my god, that was a riot,’ Savedge added.
She claims that around an hour after the incident children quickly returned to the water, unafraid by the scenes they had just witnessed.
But other spectators were a little more cautious to reenter the water after the event they had just witnessed.
Tara (left) with husband Kent (right) on Myrtle Beach days before the incident
Spectators watched the waters shocked by what they had seen. Lifeguards evacuated the area for an hour before beach-goers were allowed back in
‘I’ve never seen anything like that before,’ Garrett Archibeque told WBTW. ‘It was a heck of a feeding frenzy for the sharks.’
He was skimboarding with his cousins when the sharks appeared.
Archibeque added: ‘I wasn’t really scared. It’s the sharks’ habitat. You’re with them either way. It’s pretty cool to see them actually in action.’
Stacia White, an animal curator told the site that described the fish as a ‘bait school or a giant school of fish.’
She believes mullet, bluefish and others could have been among the group.
White said: ‘Anytime that they can find a large school of fish, it actually gives them a better opportunity to get a meal.
‘They’re going to have better odds at getting a few fish out of that school.’
She advised avoiding dusk and dawn at the beach due to sharks being ‘very active’ during these times.
Myrtle beach (above) is a popular beach side destination and was the incident happened on Monday
Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue said that Ocean Rescue constantly monitors the water for sharks and that a sighting like that was rare.
Lieutenant Jonathan Evans said: ‘We always will keep an eye out. And if someone sees one, let somebody know who is authority out here and we’ll get the waters cleared.’
In response to one of Savedge’s posts that showed the moments sharks emerged from the water, social media users were equally amazed and horrified.
Kate Slater Crawford replied: ‘OMG!! That’s a lot of sharks!! Yikes!’
Another user, Patrick Edwards wrote: ‘Uhhhhhhhhhhhh. Spinner sharks? No thanks! Pool day for me! Lmao’
‘OMG!!! That’s crazy!!! Stay safe!!’ posted Stacie Dyson Berry.
Emily Clay Stanley Evelyn added: ‘OMGOSH and y’all are swimming?????’