Sharks are used to being top dog in the ocean – but a giant crocodile off the coast of Australia gave a bull shark the scare of a lifetime.
The bull shark wasn’t the only one in danger. Both adults and children were swimming just a few yards away from the area where the bull shark and the crocodile were debating duking it out.
Chelsea Wood was visiting the area and posted drone footage of the incident to her YouTube page, Caravan Adventure Aus.
Wood said, “There were a lot of people fishing and children splashing around in the water — people were oblivious. We had been out fishing in knee-deep water, meters from where we (later) saw the croc. We were just copying the locals.”
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Once the bull shark noticed the crocodile, it did an about-face and swam away quickly. The crocodile didn’t pursue the shark further, so it’s tough to tell whether the croc was looking for his next meal or simply trying to defend his territory.
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National Geographic wildlife biologists say that this behavior is actually quite common and that sharks and alligators/crocodiles have been enemies as far back as the Late Cretaceous period. Saltwater crocodiles in particular are known for hunting bull sharks.
Watch the stand-off below.