Ballina is considered the “shark attack capital” of Australia. So when local man Craig Bateman was surfing and then saw a dorsal fin protruding from the water on July 25, he braced for the worst.

Bateman, 42, said he had been surfing with a friend near Ballina. After riding a wave, he turned around and saw the fin directly behind him.

“My life flashed before my eyes,” he said.

Bateman’s first instinct was to yell, but when he realised the grey aquatic animal wasn’t a hungry shark, but a dolphin, he broke into laughter.

He said he has never been that close to a shark at Ballina before. Drones would typically monitor the waters and lifeguards would alert swimmers and surfers to their presence before they could get close. Credit: Craig Bateman via Storyful