Drone captures magical 'fishball' off Bondi

  • 19/01/2017

A drone has captured a magic moment off Bondi beach, as a school of fish swarmed together to create an epic "fishball".

Coastalwatch and Bondi Lifeguards caught the school of salmon on the drone's camera - only metres away from swimmers.

Nick Segger, managing director of RIISE - the Australian and NZ distributor for the Ehang GhostDrone - says it shows what the drone can do.

"They were there with Coastalwatch to talk about the different applications, and getting some feedback from lifeguards about the potential uses for patrolling with it," says Mr Segger.

"They asked if Bondi Rescue could use the drone to show what it could use for."

Lifeguards are on the lookout for these fish patterns, as they often attract sharks - which could attack swimmers.

"They flew the drone over the water about 300m from shore when they picked up this circular arrangement of baitfish," Mr Segger says.

"There was a big school of fish swimming in a circle which is generally how they attract the sharks."

And he says that using the drone could help save lives.

"Drones will give lifesavers an extra pair of eyes in the sky, a unique aerial perspective that can deliver live vision back to the beach and could potentially alert lifesavers to hazards, threats, people caught in rip currents or surfers in distress more efficiently".

Newshub.