Sharks slice through large school of fish off South Carolina coast | VIDEO

PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. (WCIV) — A Charleston-based wildlife photographer captured a breathtaking video of sharks attacking a large group of fish off the coast of Pawleys Island.

In the video uploaded to Instagram on Monday, the fish formed a massive bait ball in a last-ditch attempt to protect themselves from the predators.

Apex predators doing their part to keep our ecosystem stable," the owner of the video, Michael, wrote in his post. "Pawleys Island is north of the Santee River, so the water tends to be more blue and a little clearer than in the Charleston area.

In May, the cartilaginous fish made headlines in the Lowcountry after a woman was bitten by a shark off the coast of the Isle of Palms.

While shark attacks are very rare, officials say there are ways beachgoers can enjoy coastal waters while avoiding any potential run-ins.

"We encourage beachgoers to always pay attention to their surroundings and to not swim or wade in areas where people are actively fishing, or swim or wade near schools of baitfish where other fish may be actively feeding," Isle of Palms Fire Chief Craig Oliverius said following the incident.