Drone video reveals horde of sharks rushed to feast on dead whale off Australia beach

The sight of a dead whale floating off one of Australia’s popular beaches was made even more chilling after video revealed dozens of hungry sharks were circling below the carcass.

It happened off Bettys Beach in the Albany area of southwest Australia, and angler John Cloke told ABC News Australia he estimated as many as 100 sharks were feasting on the 50-foot humpback.

However, his video is filmed in such a way that viewers don’t grasp the numbers until the camera pulls back for a broader view.

What at first appears to be 15 to 20 frenzied sharks eventually becomes dozens in all directions.

The video was shared May 16 on Cloke’s Jindys Travels Instagram page, with an explanation he “went for his morning fish and noticed something in the water so he flew the drone over.”

“We were in shock with just how many sharks there were surrounding it,” he wrote. “It was unbelievable! ... It wasn’t even that far off shore either. They must always be lurking.”

Cloke reports the whale washed onto the beach not long after the video was filmed, putting a damper on swimming.

The species of the sharks involved was not specified, but a marine scientist guessed it could include great whites and bronze whaler sharks, ABC News reported. Great whites can reach close to 20 feet off Australia, while bronze whalers grow to about 10 feet.

Reaction on social media has ranged from fear to astonishment at what unsuspecting swimmers could have encountered.

“I feel sick just looking at this,” Cai Nelson-Davies wrote.

“Never swimming again,” Lori Ell posted.

This story was originally published May 16, 2022 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Drone video reveals horde of sharks rushed to feast on dead whale off Australia beach."