Photographer captures sharks circling oblivious Aussie teens
Footage captured off the West Australian coast shows a group of sharks circling six oblivious teens out for a swim.
Photographer Sean Scott captured the incident with his drone at Red Bluff, 140km north of Carnarvon in Western Australia.
The popular camping spot is known for its big waves and marine life. It is believed the marine life spared the teens a closer encounter with the sharks.
Macquarie University Professor of Marine Ecology and leader of the Marine Predator Research Group, Rob Harcourt, identified the sharks as bronze whalers, which are often found closer to shore.
The sharks circling the swimmers reached three metres in length.
Professor Harcourt highlighted the importance of observing the sharks’ behaviour. “They are having a look and seeing the humans aren't suitable prey," he said.
"They're really interested in the fish. The fish are small and really fat and really juicy and (provide) a great energy return."
Photographer Sean captured the footage of the sharks eating on a bait ball of thousands of smaller fish. "I really hope it shows that in a healthy environment like we had there, with so many fish, that the sharks can live side by side with the people," he said.
"You've just got to use a bit of common sense.”
Image credit: Sean Scott