Eerie detail in drone footage disproves ‘captivating’ dolphin myth: ‘Pretty hectic’
Photographer Jackson Johnston hoped to film wildlife during his trip and he wasn't disappointed.
Some surfers got much more than they bargained for while catching waves at a popular beach last weekend after "crazy" drone footage revealed it wasn't just a pod of dolphins swimming near them, undoing a commonly held belief by Aussies.
Sydney photographer Jackson Johnston headed up to Bryon Bay with friends last week and decided to send his drone up over the waves to see what he could spot in the water just after sunrise on Saturday.
"We were up there for a seven-day getaway to film and enjoy the beauty of the upper east coast. It’s one of our favourite spots to visit for sea life," he told Yahoo News.
Johnston was not disappointed and spotted an array of wildlife from above, including dolphins, whales and a sting ray. But it was the presence of another species which left him shaken.
"Took me a bit to realise but there were several great white sharks, at least I think they were greats, lurking amongst the pod of dolphins and feeding on tuna or kingfish. Pretty hectic," he said online.
The footage shows two surfers paddling and catching waves just off Tallows Beach while unbeknown to them there were sharks swimming nearby. It is unknown if the sharks were great whites, or another species.
Footage discredits 'old wives tale' about sharks
It is a commonly held belief that if dolphins are near, sharks are not and after recording the footage Johnston pointed out how untrue that was.
"For those who say sharks don’t hang with dolphins, this proves the old wives tale wrong," he said, with a shark scientist confirming this.
"It's a complete myth, albeit a captivating one," Dr Leonardo Guida told Yahoo News. "They can be found sharing the same space, particularly if they're sharing the same food source like a big school of fish."
Sharks are known to eat dolphins so "dolphins might understandably keep a safe distance".
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
