Huge shark swims meters away from unsuspecting paddler in chilling footage

In Paul Dabill’s footage, the curious predator is seen approaching the beach before gliding right past a seemingly unsuspecting paddler in Florida, USA

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Shark approaches unsuspecting beachgoers in heart-pounding footage

The nerve-wracking moment a bull shark stands just meters away from unsuspecting beachgoers enjoying the water was caught on camera

Territorial by nature and easily provoked, bull sharks are often blamed when a shark attacks a human.

Though they’re known for visiting shallow waters, drone pilot Paul Dabill was surprised to see how close they got.

Mr. Dabill, of Jupiter, Florida, was flying his drone when he noticed one approaching a paddle boarder at his local beach.

He said: “They are common. At certain times I see them every time I fly my drone.

“But they don’t usually get any closer than about 50 feet from the beach — this one got a lot closer, which is rare.”

In Paul’s footage, the curious predator can be seen approaching the beach before gliding right past the seemingly unsuspecting paddler.

Then it presses close to the surf, just as a woman leaves the water, also apparently unaware of what lurks behind her.

Finally, the shark approaches a group of snorkelers before returning to the paddleboarder for another look.

Mr Dabill, 47, believes the shark was probably lured to the beach by the prospect of food.

However, he emphasized that an attack would only be considered in two cases.

“One is when the shark is chasing baitfish in shallow, murky water and a person is swimming or surfing in the area,” he said.

“Then there is a possibility that the shark may accidentally bite the person while chasing the baitfish.

“The other scenario is when a diver is spearfishing.

“Once a fish is shot, it will fight back and bleed, causing sharks to charge into the area and attempt to eat the speared fish.

“If the spearfisherman is near the speared fish, the shark might accidentally bite the person.”

He added: “Sharks don’t want to attack humans.

“When a shark bite occurs, it is almost always a fault of the shark or a person standing in the shark’s way and a potential meal for the shark.”

Bull sharks are often found in estuaries or off the Florida coast.

They can live in both fresh and salt water and marine life say they are often found in packs.

A typical bull shark is seven and 11 feet long and can weigh over 1,500 pounds.

Wildlife experts say the species is one of the most dangerous and aggressive sharks and is responsible for the third highest number of attacks on humans.