Drone Photographer Captures Unusual Tornado Rip Swirling Near Beach

A drone photographer captured a dangerous natural phenomenon that is like a tornado in the ocean, and can only be seen from the skies — making it a potential hazard for people on the ground.

Jamen Percy sent his drone up on Tuesday and spotted a spinning vortex in the waters off Manly Beach, Sydney, Australia. It’s called a tornado rip, and it forms from waves and swells colliding, which forces water into narrow channels that rush back into the sea.

It’s invisible from the shoreline, meaning swimmers could unknowingly swim into one. AccuWeather advises anyone caught in a tornado rip to not fight it, conserve energy, and keep floating until you find your way out.

“Tornado Rip,” Percy writes on his incredible photos of the tornado rip. “Epic swell brings epic rips! Photographed today at 11 am in Manly. Get out there! (But be safe, rips are very dangerous, especially for swimmers.)”

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“They are underwater currents that can pull you out to sea or under, caused by big waves from a swell event,” Percy tells The Daily Mail. “The drone provided an excellent vision of this natural spectacle.”

While not a scientific term, a rip tornado is a type of rip tide, or rip current, which can be deadly. Swimmers swept out to sea by currents are known to exhaust themselves by fighting against them. It is a common issue for beach lifeguards.

“Lifeguards rescue tens of thousands of people from rip currents in the U.S. every year,” says the NOAA. “But it is estimated that 100 people are killed by rip currents annually. If caught in a rip current, don’t fight it! Swim parallel to the shore and swim back to land at an angle.”

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It’s exactly the type of situation that drones are perfect for. When disaster strikes at ground level, drones provide excellent reconnaissance. A press photographer in Iceland, Vilhelm Gunnarsson, took aerial photos of the Blue Lagoon spa in Iceland as it was engulfed by lava from a volcanic eruption.

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.