{"id":334776,"date":"2025-12-08T11:13:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T11:13:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/334776\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T11:13:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T11:13:09","slug":"tourists-flee-water-in-byron-bay-as-incredible-natural-event-busts-aussie-ocean-myth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/334776\/","title":{"rendered":"Tourists flee water in Byron Bay as incredible natural ‘event’ busts Aussie ocean myth"},"content":{"rendered":"

An incredible natural event has been captured off Byron Bay<\/a>, one of Australia\u2019s most popular tourist destinations. Footage shared with Yahoo News shows a large bait ball<\/a>, attracting several hungry sharks, believed to be bronze whalers, to the coastline.<\/p>\n

A small pod of dolphins<\/a> can also clearly be seen taking advantage of the schooling fish, providing further evidence to bust the popular myth<\/a> that the two species don\u2019t coexist.<\/p>\n

Local aerial photographer Saxon Kent said it\u2019s common to hear other surfers see a dolphin fin and assume there won\u2019t be sharks around.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people believe that, but I know it\u2019s not true,\u201d the 24-year-old told Yahoo.<\/p>\n

Thousands watch shark and dolphin footage<\/p>\n

So after he captured drone footage at Tallow Beach showing the two predatory species feeding side-by-side, he shared it with his 287,000 Instagram followers.<\/a><\/p>\n

Jokingly, he added the caption, \u201cWhere there\u2019s dolphins, there\u2019s no sharks\u201d.<\/p>\n

Since he filmed and uploaded the footage on Friday, close to a million people have viewed it, and the bait ball has remained in the area, prompting tourists and locals alike to do the right thing and stay out of the water.<\/p>\n

\u201cStunning footage,\u201d \u201cWhat a sick shot!\u201d, and \u201cAmazing\u201d were just three of the hundred-plus responses to the post.<\/p>\n

Another person added, \u201cEveryone is friends when there\u2019s food\u201d.<\/p>\n

Root of the shark and dolphin myth explained<\/p>\n

Lawrence Chlebeck<\/a>, a marine ecologist with Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society International) noted that baitballs attract a range of ocean predators, and while it\u2019s a myth that you don\u2019t see sharks and dolphins in the same waters, they have been known to show aggression to each other.<\/p>\n

\"Drone<\/p>\n

The footage clearly shows sharks and dolphins both feeding on the bait ball. Source: Saxon Kent<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are stories that dolphins have protected their own, or even in some rare cases protected humans from aggressive shark behaviour,\u201d he told Yahoo.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo there\u2019s no doubt those things can and have happened, but if there\u2019s a bait ball in the area, birds, dolphins, large fish like tuna will use it as prey, and obviously large sharks will as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chlebeck said photographic evidence of the way marine animals behave and interact with each other will help viewers understand the ocean more intimately.<\/p>\n

Last month’s fatal shark attack at Crowdy Bay in NSW <\/a>also saw a bull shark in the vicinity of dolphins when the two Swiss tourists were attacked.<\/p>\n

After the incident, Bond University shark expert Dr Daryl McPhee said it is a myth that dolphins deter sharks.<\/p>\n

When Kent began watching the bait ball through his drone camera, he was primarily captivated by the beauty of the unfolding event.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been flying my drone over sharks and dolphins for years, and to see them feeding together is super rare, especially coming in as close as they were,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

When humans wade into the ocean, they\u2019re entering the natural habitat of sharks, and Kent decided to share the footage to educate other swimmers.<\/p>\n

Over the weekend, the NSW Government announced an investment of $2.5 million to boost its shark surveillance program to get more drones into the sky.<\/p>\n

It comes as it faces increased scrutiny over its controversial shark nets<\/a>, which are set at 51 beaches in eight local government areas between Newcastle and Wollongong.<\/p>\n

Kent said he\u2019s \u201call for drone surveillance over nets\u201d, but that it\u2019s also important to educate other swimmers about sharks so they know the risks when entering the water and can keep safe.<\/p>\n

The bait ball has attracted a lot of attention around the area since it was first spotted on Friday, drawing curious onlookers to the sand to marvel over the last four days.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been quite an event in Byron, everyone is talking about it,\u201d Kent said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBelieve it or not, people out here are most excited and thrilled to see nature thriving, and we\u2019re all pretty aware they will eventually go away, it\u2019s a temporary thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Love Australia’s weird and wonderful environment? \ud83d\udc0a\ud83e\udd98\ud83d\ude33 Get our new newsletter<\/a> showcasing the week\u2019s best stories.<\/p>\n

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