iStockphoto / EVGENY BAGRETSOV
The changing of seasons often brings a lot of hungry fish close to beaches as that’s where water tends to be shallower (and warmer) and baitfish seek the protection of the shallows as predators can only attack from one side.
While we are in full-blown Spring here in the United States, it’s Fall/Autumn in Australia and a lot of sharks are trying to fatten up before the water gets chilly during Winter.
A person flying a drone off a beach in Australia‘s Gold Coast captured stunning footage of hundreds of young sharks feeding on a bait ball.
A ‘bait ball’ is a concentration of small baitfish. It acts as a ‘strength in numbers’ sort of protection for the fish but it also creates an easy target for predators to chow down on, predators like these sharks. Watch closely and you can see hundreds of sharks swimming in the shallows in search of an easy meal:
According to Australia’s Yahoo! News, experts are calling this the “area’s largest shark sighting in more than 15 years.”
It’s surreal how there are people just feet away on the beach living their best lives while hundreds of sharks swim by feeding on the bait ball.
Commenters on the video wrote:
“Amazing capture of yesterday’s frenzy!”
“So awesome the view from your deck was spectacular.”
“A friend of ours who is a licensed fisherman said the shark numbers are unbelievable at the moment he said don’t fall overboard.”
Experts say the unseasonably warm weather in Australia right now has brought juvenile scalloped hammerhead sharks and other sharks close to the beach.
Normally, they’d be migrating at this time of year but changing weather patterns and extreme weather conditions have created a perfect storm of warm weather and warm water that has produced more shark activity on Australia’s Gold Coast than has been seen in decades.
Australia Has Seen Extraordinary Shark Activity In Recent Weeks
This ‘mammoth’ bull shark was caught near where this footage was shot just a few weeks ago:
And these juvenile hammerhead sharks in Australia’s Gold Coast were filmed around surfers three weeks ago:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/un5YXYsXiug
It is always good to keep your head on a swivel when you’re in the water, even if you don’t see any sharks around!