NAIL-BITING footage shows a swarm of Great White sharks circling below unsuspecting surfers after experts warn of increased incidents of shark attacks.
The stunning footage was taken by a drone at San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County, California.
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The beach is one of the most popular surfing spots on the coast but is also a popular breeding ground for Great Whites.
The mating season for Great Whites begins in late spring and lasts until early fall, according to Bali Sharks.
This sees them become more active and often more aggressive.
North and South Carolina coasts have been identified as two locations where the Great White mating season begins.
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Now, the footage taken by photographer Kevin Christopherson shows four or five sharks just below the surface of the water as surfers caught the waves above them.
Some of the water sports enthusiasts could be seen sitting on their boards with their legs in the water while a shark was just meters away.
Other surfers paddled directly over the huge fish, which were bigger than their boards.
While this would have terrified several people, the surfers seemed calm and undisturbed by the sharks.
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So far, 19 people have been bitten by sharks in American waters this year, which experts fear could be the beginning of a new record.
Last week in Long Island, New York, five bites were reported between July 3 and 4 while, at the same time, swimmers ran for their lives from dorsal fins popping up in Florida waters, CBS News reports.
The shocking number of attacks has spurred officials to increase surveillance efforts and track activity by using drone cameras.
One drone investigating a bite in New York captured some 50 sharks teaming together in a terrifying scene.
However, officials continue to remind the public that holidays such as the Fourth of July bring massive groups of people to the beaches, so it's only natural that there were more attacks.
"Step back a little from the hysteria," Bradley Peterson, a professor at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, told the New York Post.
"We’re not talking about anybody losing their life. No one lost their limb. No one was taken to the hospital."
