Footage of a large, eerie shadow in the water at a popular Sydney beach has revealed why swimmers were urged to head to dry land immediately.
Swimmers and surfers at Manly Beach, on Sydney’s northern beaches, were told to flee the water after lifeguards spotted a huge ball of bait on Sunday.
Drone photos and videos captured by photographer Lee Bollom of Photos of Batuti showed the large size of the group of tiny fish.
The bait ball made a floating surf lifeboat look tiny in comparison.
Lifeguards were forced to close the beach for several hours due to increased shark danger after hundreds of people sought a refreshing dip as temperatures soared to 30C.
Surf Life Saving NSW general manager Brent Manieri told Daily Mail Australia surf lifeboats can sometimes move smaller bait balls away from beaches, but this one was “too big”.
“When bait balls are present, this tends to attract predators – larger fish, birds and dolphins, and can also attract sharks to the area,” Mr Manieri said.
“People swimming through such a bait ball could cause an interaction with a shark. Obviously it is a greater risk and the precaution is to remove bathers from the area.
The huge bait ball was spotted on Manly Beach on Sydney’s northern beaches on Sunday.
Bait balls are produced when small fish gather together in a spherical formation, either voluntarily or to protect themselves from predators (pictured, a bait ball at Manly Beach in Sydney on Sunday)
Bollom, who captured the bait ball with his drone, was also using the camera to scan the coast for sharks, but luckily did not spot any.
Bait balls can be dangerous to swimmers and surfers because they attract predators, including sharks, dolphins and killer whales.
The natural phenomenon occurs when small fish gather in a spherical formation either voluntarily or to protect themselves from predators.
It comes after another drone photographer captured the moment a shark came dangerously close to unsuspecting swimmers on a Perth beach.
The situation was filmed with a drone at Whitfords Beach, north of Perth, Western Australia, a location known for tiger shark sightings.
The shark swam close to a father and his two children in the waves, before a surfer spooked it into deeper water.