Watch | Australia: World champion surfer narrowly escapes shark attack

A world champion surfer from Australia narrowly escaped any possible attack from shark after the deadly marine fish encircled him before moving away from his feet.

The entire incident was captured by a done in which world championship surfer Matt Wilkinson was seen surfing at Sharpes Beach, 733 km (455 miles) north of Sydney when the shark came rushing towards him underneath his surfboard on Wednesday.

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The video shot by lifeguards is of a 1.3-metre (five-feet) Great White Shark that circled Wilkinson and later moved away. 

"I was surfing out the back at Sharpes Beach and just cruising on my own," Wilkinson said in a press released issued Surf Life Saving NSW, as quoted by news agency Reuters. 

"I heard a splash and a noise and looked around and couldn't see anything. Then the drone came down and told me that there was a dangerous shark in the area," he added. 

"I realised how close it came without knowing it was there. I called my wife because I didn't want her to see the footage before I saw it. She doesn't want me surfing for a couple of days now."

Wilkinson is a former professional surfer and had completed his world championship heat just ahead of another Australian Mick Fanning's encounter with a large shark in 2015 in South Africa, which he successfully countered by punching it.