Drone captures moment great white shark stalks surfer
A shark-detecting drone captured the moment a great white shark came terrifyingly close to a surfer dangling his legs in the water in NSW, Australia.
The surfer can be seen sitting on his board waiting for the next wave, and the great white is lurking very close by at Lighthouse Beach in Ballina.
See also: Is that a great white shark in a Sydney canal?
See also: Young surfer shares waves with shark in Australia
It gets right up to the surfer before suddenly veering away when a wave comes along.
The footage was taken by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, which is trialling drones on beaches as part of a big-budget government Shark Management Strategy, reports TVNZ.
When a shark poses a risk to the public, details from the drone footage are immediately passed to police and lifeguards.
Speaking to 9 News, NSW Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair said at the launch of the trials last December: "Sharks which are posing a potential danger to swimmers and surfers will be immediately reported to police and local surf life saving clubs at patrolled beaches."
Lighthouse Beach is known to be a high-risk shark attack spot. Last September, a teenage surfer suffered a severe leg injury in an attack, while there has been 11 shark attacks, including two fatal, in the 70km stretch from Evans Head to Ballina and Byron Bay since 2014.
Related video:
