MELBOURNE (Reuters) - 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, showing the shark circle him, close in and then dart away from his feet. The 1.3-metre (five-feet) Great White Shark then circled and swam up to Wilkinson's feet, which were trailing in the water, and quickly turned away. Then the drone came down and told me that there was a dangerous shark in the area," he said. I called my wife because I didn't want her to see the footage before I saw it. A 46-year-old surfer was killed last month at a Gold Coast beach after he suffered severe leg injuries from a shark attack, with Australia recording a total of 19 shark attacks in 2020, according to the Taronga Conservation Society.

Source: The Star October 08, 2020 08:03 UTC