Fisherman captures incredible 'natural phenomenon' at Aussie lake

The 'amazing' scenes were captured by a young couple casually fishing in the area.

Aerial footage of an incredible "natural phenomenon" has been captured on video where millions of salmon are seen swimming at a popular NSW lake.

The fisherman who took the surreal drone footage over the weekend at Wapengo Estuary said he's "never seen a school this large in all [his] years".

"It’s always a wonderful sight seeing these fish in such numbers. They aren’t there all the time, [they] just come around for a few months of winter then disappear," Adam Dowton told Yahoo News Australia.

An aerial still from a video in which a large school of salmon are migrating north from southern waters at Bithry Inlet in the Wapengo Estuary of NSW. They are swimming around a boat.
A couple fishing in the Wapengo Estuary of NSW captured drone footage of what is reportedly the biggest school of salmon on record. Source: Adam Dowton

Why are there so many fish?

In the video, the "huge school" of Australian salmon is joined by dolphins, sharks and seals as they "migrate north from southern waters through winter," professor Culum Brown from the School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University said.

"They are a migratory species and adults are often seen in huge schools along the coastline and often enter estuaries," he explained to Yahoo News Australia. "Each adult fish is usually between 35 to 45 cm but they can be as big as 75cm.

"They are important food source for sharks, dolphins, seals and sea birds and humans also target them in an annual fishery."

'Biggest school of salmon on record'

The wounderous sight is reportedly the biggest school of salmon on record, according to Fishing Australia TV, with many commenting on the mesmerising "natural phenomenon" on their Facebook post.

"Incredible. I wouldn’t of believed it," one person wrote. "Amazing! Nature at its best!" another agreed.

"Good to see so much marine life, hope it is preserved and stays that way!" a third person said.

Australian salmon occupy the southern waters off NZ, Tasmania, Victoria and NSW, and "typically spawn in the surf zone in Spring," Professor Brown said.

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