The moment a shark came eerily close to swimmers and a dog in South Beach, Miami, left viewers applauding the owner’s quick action.
Doctor Elsa Orlandini spends her free time at the beach, flying her drone to capture the marine life, often circling near the Miami beaches. She told Newsweek she’ll see rays, manatees, turtles and several types of sharks.
Orlandini said her friends will join her almost daily. They’ll swim, surf or play in the water as she’s using the drone. She’s created a system to help warn them of potential dangers in the water headed their way, which is what recently occurred when a black tip shark came a bit too close for comfort.
In last week’s Instagram video posted to her account, @pixelation1111, Orlandini’s drone started following a blacktip shark swimming near the coast, zigzagging its way toward her friends—Silvia Govantes with her dog, Kiki, and Gigi Benitez who was snorkeling.
This type of shark is not considered a serious threat to humans, an article from the Florida Museum of Natural History stated. There have been only 11 unprovoked blacktip shark bites on humans since 1959.
“Blacktip sharks are very curious,” Orlandini said. “They’ll swim around people, but I rarely see them do anything.”
These sharks usually leave quickly, and her friends know they’re typically safe, but Orlandini still warned them. The glare on the water can make it hard to spot these sharks.
The drone footage showed her friends calmly responding to Orlandini’s signal about the shark nearby. Govantes kept Kiki close to her side, placing herself in between the dog and the shark.
Screenshots from a drone showing how close a blacktip shark swam to a woman and her dog in South Beach Miami.
@pixelation1111/Instagram
“Kiki, the dog, goes to the beach every day,” Orlandini said. “…she is eager to munch on fish. The owner was afraid her dog would think it was a fish and she held her back.”
Viewers flooded the comment section with praise for the dog owner protecting her fur baby, and as of Tuesday, the Instagram video reached over 1.1 million views and 25,800 likes
“Props to the girl, she was ready to fight that shark for her dog,” said one user.
Another added: “She protected her dog. What a woman.”
While using her drone is a fun side hobby for Orlandini, she stressed how they can be …
“Drones can be our friends and can help us,” she said, suggesting the integration of a warning system from those flying drones to people in the water or to lifeguards.
Orlandini said lifeguards are great at warning those in the water about dangers; however, some people are out when they are not on duty. Swimmers going at their own risk are often unable to see what a drone captures. But she believes a communication system between those flying the drones and those in the water can minimize the risk.
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