A surfer at popular Bondi Beach had a close encounter with a grey nurse shark on Tuesday, captured on drone footage by local videographer Jason Iggledon.
The video shows the 1.7-metre shark, nicknamed ‘Nelly’ by locals, swimming right next to the surfer and almost making contact at one point. The surfer seems unaware of the large shark in the water next to him.
Shark and surfer unfazed by each other
In the drone footage, Nelly the shark can be seen swimming past the surfer’s leg as he sits on his board. “Watch your foot, mate,” Mr Iggledon can be heard saying in the video. But the surfer appears unfazed as the shark swims by.
“She’s got no interest in feet, even,” Mr. Iggledon comments in the video. Further footage shows the shark calmly swimming along, ignoring the surfers in the water.
“This is nuts, people. You can see Nelly has just got no interest in humans whatsoever,” Mr. Iggledon said. “Just cruising along the beach. You [can almost] touch Nelly.”
Mr Iggledon also captured drone footage of the surfer almost hitting the shark as he rode a wave back to shore, coming within inches of the animal. Once again, the shark appears unfazed by the near collision.
Grey nurse shark facts
The grey nurse shark, also known as the sand tiger or spotted ragged tooth shark, is a vulnerable species found along the east coast of Australia. They are slow-moving, mostly docile sharks that pose little threat to humans.
Grey nurse sharks are critically endangered due to years of overfishing and habitat destruction. As top predators, they play an important role in the marine ecosystem. Conservation groups are working to protect the species by creating safe zones and habitats. However, their limited reproductive rate makes recovery difficult.
The close encounter filmed in Bondi is a reminder that these sharks still inhabit the waters along Australia’s coastline. Locals are advised to give them space and avoid antagonising them. For both sharks and beachgoers, caution and respect will ensure a peaceful coexistence at Bondi.
Published 21-November-2023