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Australian surfer rides wave with large shark on paddleboard | Video

Australian surfer rides wave with large shark on paddleboard | Video

The surfer with the dead shark on board 

An incredible video has gone viral on social media which shows a surfer in New South Wales, Australia riding a wave with what appears to be a dead shark on his board.

The footage was capturedatYamba Main Beach and the surfer could be seen riding the paddleboard, sitting on his knees while the shark carcass was pointed towards the shore.

According to9 News Australia, the shark had "sadly died before the surfer found it". The shark species was not yet identified.

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Kristin Grace, who posted the video on TikTok first, described the bizarre scene as an “Only in Australia” moment.

The video was immediately flagged with a warning, reading: “The actions in this video are performed by professionals or supervised by professionals. Do not attempt.”

Australia: A hotspot for sharks

Australia is well-known for its wild and dangerous wildlife. The continent is a hotspot for nearly 200 species of sharks.

Earlier this year in February, a 59-year-old Australian tourist was killed by a shark near a beach in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia. At the time of his death, the man was swimming close to a pontoon and was 150 metres away from the shore when the shark attacked.

WATCH |Sydney swimmer killed in a shark attack

According to experts, the great whites are most commonly known for attacking humans followed by the tiger sharks.

Apart from bull sharks, tiger sharks and great white sharks are also known for regularly engaging with humans. Last month,wildlife photographer Kevin Christopherson at San Onofre State Beach in the US also captured footage that showed how close the sharks swim to unsuspecting humans.

Notably, a recent study by California State University found that sharks swim much closer to humans than previously imagined. The researchers arrived at the conclusion after conducting over 1,500 drone flights spanning two years in southern Santa Barbara County and central San Diego County.

"In both spots, the sharks were observed swimming near humans on 97 per cent of the days surveyed, and often within 50 yards of wave breaks. The sharks generally came closest to surfers and stand-up paddle boarders," the study revealed.

(With inputs from agencies)

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