It might have been a scene straight out of Jaws.
Swimmers at Hillary Dog Beach near Perth, Western Australia, got here perilously near death on December 28 after a tiger shark was spotted lurking near the shore.
Breathtaking drone footage captured by beachgoer Sam Wood shows an enormous predator in the clear and iridescent waters of Australia – just meters from unsuspecting bathers.
At one point, the shark will be seen charging towards one female before drastically turning back, deciding that he isn’t interested in her.
“I used to be frightened it could be an attack and after all I used to be very scared” – Wood he told a neighborhood news service after seeing a shark.
A local said he was filming together with his drone about 800 meters from the beach and ran ashore when he realized there was a shark in the shallows. All swimmers were quickly faraway from the water and the attack was avoided.
Viewers who saw a neighborhood shark sighting report got on Facebook share your thoughts, and plenty of Western Australians say it’s commonplace to identify predators.
“I’ve seen six sharks in six months…now I just don’t swim anymore,” wrote one.
“There isn’t a surprise for me. I’ve seen such things in my life. I’ve seen stingrays and sharks over 5 feet in length approaching swimmers in waist-deep water to 2 feet and I had no idea,” added one other.
A third stated: “I had the impression that the waters of Western Australia are stuffed with sharks and those who just like the shallows. I like the coast there, but I would not swim.”
Indeed, shark attacks in Western Australia are usually not unusual. A man in October almost had his arm cut off after being bitten by a shark while spearfishing in the realm.
However it’s not only Australia experiencing an increase in shark sightings and attacks.
Last summer, the east coast of america experienced a shark infestation with a series of attacks.
There have also been several shark sightings and attacks in Florida, with one viral video showing two sharks circling swimmers frolicking in the water at Jacksonville Beach.