Stunning bird's eye view of marine fauna

Photographs taken by Perth-based photographer Phil de Glanville have been making waves in recent days. Frames taken from a bird’s eye perspective captured representatives of marine fauna, such as sharks and rays, hunting in shallow, clear waters off the coast of Australia.

Taking these amazing photos was made possible (how many times?) by the use of a drone. While flying over the water, de Glanville spotted a group of about 30 copper sharks, and later another group of hammerhead sharks numbering as many as 70, as well as single but impressive individuals of stingrays.

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It was all recorded just a few dozen metres off the shore at a place called Point Peron, near Perth in western Austrlia.

As experts suspect, hammerhead sharks have appeared in the area most likely hunting stingrays. According to the Shark Smart which monitors shark appearances, a larger group of hammerhead sharks has been reported in the Perth area four times in the past few days.

However, it is not the tactic of hunting in a large group by hammerhead sharks that is unusual here. Rather, it is their appearance so close to shore and during the day. The species is famous for its nocturnal lifestyle and it is usually then that it goes hunting.

As for stingrays, the items on their menu live mainly on or just below the ocean surface. These are mainly mussels, oysters and small crustaceans. It is also worth knowing that they are very territorial animals, and since their eyes are on the top of their head, they have to rely heavily on smell and the electric field produced by organs located on the sides of the head.

Copper sharks, mentioned above, are a case where a group of smaller individuals hunt together to maximise their chances against larger prey. The species is not usually a threat to humans. There has only been one recorded death from a copper shark attack on a human.

Source: dailymail.co.uk
Photo: Phil de Glanville