The 6ft beast swam as far as sunbathers would relax on the beach in France, as the chilling video showed just its flipper sticking out as it slithered menacingly through the water. 4 The shark’s fin was seen sticking out of the water 4 The huge beast swam to shore Video captured by researchers shows the female blue shark hiding underwater as bystanders watched from the shore near the deserted beach in Hyères, near Toulon. Local police were brought in to make sure the audience was kept behind a security cordon. Nicolas Ziani, founder of the Marseille Group for Shark Studies, said there are usually “thousands of blue sharks offshore, especially in the summer”, but seeing one so close was unusual. “In 17 years of experience, I have never seen this before,” he told France3. “For more than 24 hours that he has been there, we do not understand his behavior. “His movements are repetitive, without purpose, as if he’s disconnected from his brain system.” Blue sharks can reach 12 feet in length. They have been known to go after people and boats at sea and are therefore classified as a ‘dangerous’ species. They generally roam the waters of the Mediterranean, but can also be found in British waters. Experts speculated that the woman may have been unwell and was sadly found dead on Saturday morning. “He probably died overnight, he was found on the rocks, it was pretty predictable,” Ziani said. The beach is now open to the public after several days of closure. It comes as video shows sharks circling just yards off the coast of Long Island, as officials have increased patrols after a series of attacks. Drone videographer Joanna Steidle, who captured the footage of the predators, said she had never seen them so close to the beach. Meanwhile, beachgoers in Australia have been warned to stay away from a popular beach over fears a rotting whale carcass could attract hungry sharks. Experts are concerned the dead whale could trigger a deadly shark infestation at Big Beach near Mallacoota in Victoria, Australia. Authorities have issued a “Dangerous Animal” alert as the Department of Inland Water Environment and Wildlife Planning continues to monitor the whale. “Due to a whale carcass there could be an increase in shark activity,” Fisheries Victoria told visitors. Last month, sailors and surfers were warned that huge sharks were chasing swimmers off a popular Queensland beach as the annual migration began. 4 Experts managed to pull it under water 4 Barriers were erected to keep the public awayCredit: FTV
