Drone footage shows the tense moment a California surfer was encircled by a shark swimming around his board.
The surfer ran into the shark off Seascape Beach on June 10 at about 8.45 am.
Drone photographer Nick Bertocchini spotted the animal swimming around a surfer identified as Rex, according to KCRA3.
The footage shows the shark circling around Rex, whose legs dangle in the water, before he starts to paddle away from it.
Following the terrifying encounter, Rex decided to head back to shore.
The footage shows the shark moving near Rex as he sat on his board offshore.
Although the scene appears like something out of Jaws, Bertocchini said he regularly sees sharks while filming the coastline and has captured numerous encounters between the predators and surfers from above.
In most cases the sharks seem interested in their surroundings before continuing on their way, he said.
Drone footage captured a massive shark circling a surfer off Seascape Beach in California
The surfer, known as Rex, was out on the water at about 8.45 am on June 10 when the beast emerged
‘This one stood out because it appeared more investigative than the average encounter I typically see. I am glad the shark and surfer left without any further contact,’ Bertocchini told the outlet.
Sharks are regularly spotted along California’s Central Coast, where surfers and marine life often share the same waters.
Beachgoers are encouraged to remain aware of ocean conditions and stay alert while in the water.
If swimmers encounter sharks, they are advised to remain calm and always face the shark while slowly backing out of the water.
On the other side of the US, a fisherman managed to wrangle a huge great white shark onto the shores of a massively popular beach earlier this month.
Elliot Sudal, 37, wrestled the shark at Nobadeer Beach in Nantucket, Massachusetts, on June 7.
Drone photographer Nick Bertocchini captured the heart-stopping encounter which was reminiscent of a Hollywood film
The classic 1975 horror film, Jaws, featured a massive, man-eating great white shark that wreaked havoc on a New England beach town
Sudal has been fishing on the popular island for 13 years and has plenty of experience under his belt catching sharks.
‘Caught 1000-plus sandbars and hundreds of duskys off the beach,’ he said.
But that day marked the first time Sudal, a native of Burlington, Connecticut, had ever reeled in a great white, with the stunning moment being captured on camera.
