Can you spot the signs of a fake viral video? Incredible footage shows teen wake surfing with a dolphin in Sydney harbour - and he insists it's real despite faking similar stunts with a shark

  • Teenager Alex Hayes claims to have filmed a dolphin swimming with him
  • Wake surfer's video appears to show the animal following him in the water 
  • But Sydney-based Mr Hayes has a history of faking similar online stunts  
  • Photo of a shark swimming beneath him went viral in 2015, but was a hoax

By Ollie Gillman For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 04:52 EST, 10 October 2016 | Updated: 09:09 EST, 10 October 2016

A teenager claims to have captured extraordinary footage of him wake surfing with a dolphin off the coast of Sydney.

The astonishing footage shows teen surfer Alex Hayes using a GoPro to film himself riding waves when the dolphin emerges below him.

The video appears to show the animal following Mr Hayes along as he trails his friends in a boat, but the footage has not been verified and the teenager has a history of faking similar feats.

A teenager claims to have filmed himself wake surfing with a dolphin off the coast of Sydney

A teenager claims to have filmed himself wake surfing with a dolphin off the coast of Sydney

The astonishing footage shows teen surfer Alex Hayes using a GoPro to film himself riding waves when the dolphin emerges below him

The astonishing footage shows teen surfer Alex Hayes using a GoPro to film himself riding waves when the dolphin emerges below him

The video appears to show the animal following Mr Hayes along as he trails his friends in a boat

The video appears to show the animal following Mr Hayes along as he trails his friends in a boat

In the video, which Mr Hayes has posted on his YouTube channel, he is seen riding with in a boat with his friends as they search for dolphins.

'So right now me and the boys are trying to find our old friend Dolphy. We heard he's around the area. Haven't seen him in a few years,' the teenager says.

'He just sent me a Snapchat the other day. He looked like he was in the area. Just thought we'd try to find him.' 

The video then cuts to Mr Hayes wake surfing - and within moments a dolphin seems to appear below the water.

'Are you kidding me?' he shouts before dipping the camera underwater to capture the supposed dolphin sighting from below the water.

The dolphin appears to continue swimming with the wake surfer before eventually the boys head back into shore.

The dolphin appears to continue swimming with the wake surfer before eventually the boys head back into shore

The dolphin appears to continue swimming with the wake surfer before eventually the boys head back into shore

'Are you kidding me?' Mr Hayes shouts before dipping the camera underwater to capture the supposed dolphin sighting from below the water

'Are you kidding me?' Mr Hayes shouts before dipping the camera underwater to capture the supposed dolphin sighting from below the water

The footage has not been verified and the teenager has a history of faking similar feats

The footage has not been verified and the teenager has a history of faking similar feats

As Mr Hayes come into shore, he tells the camera: 'I can't believe what just happened. That was the craziest thing ever. Haters will say it's fake.'

He tells his friends: 'That was skurfing [another term for wake surfing] and now it's jumping next to me and everything. 

'That was skurfing next to me the whole time, bae. They were jumping next to me, I got it all on film.' 

Mr Hayes last online stunt, in June 2015, saw him Photoshop a shark on to an image of him sitting on his surfboard out at sea.

Originally he said he came across the ‘bad boy’ when he was paddling out for a surf near Clontarf Beach, on Sydney’s north coast, but later owned up to the prank after it went viral and 6,000 people tarted following his Instagram page.

Mr Hayes last online stunt, in June 2015, saw him Photoshop a shark on to an image of him sitting on his surfboard out at sea

Mr Hayes last online stunt, in June 2015, saw him Photoshop a shark on to an image of him sitting on his surfboard out at sea

In 2014, Mr Hayes posted a breathtaking image of dolphin frolicking in the ocean with him

In 2014, Mr Hayes posted a breathtaking image of dolphin frolicking in the ocean with him

The year before, Mr Hayes posted a breathtaking image of dolphin frolicking in the ocean with swimmers - the same one he referred to at the start of his latest video.

Some commenters immediately called the veracity of his new video into question, with one questioning whether it was Photoshopped.

Another comment on his Facebook page following the release of the video said 'another fake'.

Mr Hayes, from Manly, appears to be standing by his video on this occasion, telling his thousands of fans that he was 'so thankful'.

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