Dramatic drone footage shows shark tracking surfer in Australia

This article is more than 12 months old

Oct 09, 2020 06:00 am

MELBOURNE: A dramatic close encounter between Australian world championship surfer Matt Wilkinson and a shark off the east coast of the country was captured by a drone.

It shows the shark circle him, close in and then dart away from his feet.

Mr Wilkinson was paddling in from a surf at Sharpes Beach, 733km north of Sydney, when the shark swam towards him and then under his surfboard yesterday, with the drama being captured on a drone used by lifeguards to watch for sharks.

The 1.3m great white shark then circled and swam up to Mr Wilkinson's feet, which were trailing in the water, and quickly turned away.

Mr Wilkinson, a former pro surfer, said: "I heard a splash and a noise and looked around and couldn't see anything.

"Then the drone came down and told me that there was a dangerous shark in the area." - REUTERS