Wild moment huge 450kg shark comes within inches of swimmers
'I knew the odds of something bad happening were slim. But at the end of the day, nature is unpredictable and anything can happen.'
A brave group of swimmers have stood their ground, watching as a huge 14-foot long great hammerhead shark swam directly towards them in an incredible experience caught on drone footage.
Describing the video as the "most intense clip" he's ever filmed, drone pilot Evan Parness captured the moment the 450kg shark came within inches of the group before turning away at the last second.
The eight people standing in hip-high water stay calm and composed, despite the large fin slicing the surface.
The video was recorded "just feet from the shoreline" in Palm Beach, Florida on July 26. Though their size can be intimidating, great hammerheads rarely attack people, and have never caused the death of a human.
"Since this was a great hammerhead, I knew the odds of something bad happening were slim. But at the end of the day, nature is unpredictable and anything can happen," Mr Parness wrote on Instagram.
"Thankfully, this beast just wanted to see what was going on and once he realised it wasn’t what he was looking for.. (blacktip sharks) he got on his way."
He said the group in the water were his friends, and credited them for remaining "cool as ice" while the huge shark checked them out.
"Especially since they were able to see the sharks massive dorsal fin the entire time, coming straight at them," he wrote.
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One member of the group had his phone with him and managed to record the scenes from his point of view, showing the large dorsal fin snaking towards them.
Mr Parness said the videos are "proof" that humans aren't on the menu for sharks and said it's a moment he'll never forget.
- with Storyful
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