Surfboards, the Sun glistening on gentle waves, and a photobombing shark. Ah, Australia, you live up to your reputation.
This drone video was shot by photographer David Finlay off the coast of Kiama beach in New South Wales earlier this week. While a group of surfers took a break on the waves, he suddenly spotted a shark lurking just a few feet below their boards, totally unbeknownst to them.
“These surfers were completely unaware there was a shark swimming directly beneath their feet,” Finlay said. “The surf lifesavers were notified there was a shark in the water.”
The video has already been met with the usual hysteria (pshhh, thanks again, Jaws). But seriously, there’s nothing to worry about at all.
David Finlay via Storyful
First all of, many people have pointed out this looks like a grey nurse shark (Carcharias taurus). The species might look fearsome due to their size and pointed teeth but they pose no threat humans. They can be seen in shallow reefs and bays across many of the world’s coastlines, so they come into contact with a fair amount of swimmers, surfers, and fishermen. Nevertheless, there’s never been a recorded human fatality from a grey nurse shark attack.
In fact, shark attacks from other species aren’t something you should lie awake at night worrying about either; you probably don’t taste too good and they're just not that into you. A recent study by the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File found there were 81 unprovoked attacks worldwide in 2016. Only four of these shark attacks were fatal, with the yearly average being five to six human fatalities each year. That means you're 15 times more likely to be killed by your lawnmower than a shark.
As the video below explains, you’ll see it’s a pretty one-sided battle if you compare that to the number of sharks humans kill a year:
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