Tourists warned after incredible shark-crocodile 'battle' filmed off Aussie coast

Wild footage of a shark and a crocodile swimming together in shallow waters serves as a major reminder to travellers of the country's far north to be hyper vigilant when near the water's edge, a leading marine biologist has warned.

The sight, which may seem unfamiliar to some, is actually relatively common, Humane Society International's Lauren Sandeman told Yahoo News Australia. She said due to the fact both animals have a diet that consists of marine animals, it's not unusual to spot the two interacting and competing for a snack — but it is slightly more rare to capture it on film.

"Sharks and crocodiles do share habitat, but seeing something like that is a pretty awesome site to behold, but it's certainly not out of the natural order," Sandeman explained. "They're both marine predators and opportunistic at that, so they'll eat what they can, when they can come and get around it."

In the footage, multiple sharks are seen swimming through the shallows in waters in Queensland's Far North, where a croc also patiently waits for prey. The sharks chase small fish and dart along the shoreline, eventually coming face-to-face with the crocodile.

Marine biologist sets record straight on wild 'battle' video

Some responding to the footage online suggested that overfishing may have been the reason the shark was hunting for food in the shallows, alongside the crocodile. Sandeman said that's not quite the reality, though overfishing undoubtably impacts sharks in general.

"This certainly seems to be an instance of predators looking for an opportunity to get a quick meal with a fishing boat in the water," she said.

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"And this kind of behaviour from sharks is fairly common. They are — especially depending on the species — known to scavenge in shallow waters, particularly as they're younger, and certainly it's not out of their natural environment for sharks to be in shallow water.

"So it's pretty natural behaviour that we're seeing from sharks."

Sandeman said the video is "a very good example" of the fact there are "plenty of risks in the ocean".

"Certainly up in Far North Queensland — I'm happy to just look at the ocean," she joked.

Viewers in awe of 'crazy' footage

People online, particularly those from overseas, couldn't believe their eyes after viewing the "insane" footage. "I've not seen sharks come into such shallow water — that's crazy, you're not safe anywhere it seems," one person said.

"Dude you are way too close to those crocs! That's within striking distance," another commented.

"Crocodile and sharks, no thanks, I will stay dry," a third joked.

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