Drone captures the moment a shark lurks beneath unsuspecting surfers

A photographer captured the moment a shark swam directly under surfers, who were unaware they were so close to the creature.

Photographer David Finlay was operating his drone at a Kiama beach in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, when he suddenly noticed a shark lurking beneath the water, just metres from two oblivious surfers enjoying the waves.

In the video, posted to YouTube, Finlay can be heard asking a friend if they have a phone – presumably to make a call and warn of the shark's presence.

"These surfers were completely unaware there was a shark swimming directly beneath their feet," Finlay said.

"The surf lifesavers were notified there was a shark in the water."

Last week, a 17-year-old girl died after she was mauled by a shark while surfing in western Australia's south coast. Latricia Brouwer was surfing in the surfer resort of Kelp Beds, near the town of Esperance in Wylie Bay, when the shark launched its attack.

According to data from the Shark Research Institute, this is the eighth shark attack in Australian waters this year, and the first fatality.