When I started this channel a year ago, I had a completely different perspective of the
definition of a shark encounter. The following is an uncut two minute clip of what is classified as
a human/shark encounter. Like much of the public, I assumed a shark nearby automatically meant
danger. Filming a clip like this, just six months ago, would make my heart beat a little faster.
But as I’ve filmed hours of encounters over the past year, I’ve really gained a much clearer
understanding of what goes on in Southern California waters on a daily basis. And it is
proof to me that a shark attack is likely even more rare than I ever believed.
It’s a joy to see surfers enjoying the water next to sharks with the utmost
respect for their home. And clips like this are testament to how humans and sharks can coexist.
But sometimes there are moments, you have to see to believe. Moments like this.
A dolphin, multiple sharks, and humans, all in the same frame. The interactions are evident and they
are moments I never thought I’d witness. Yet, it didn’t take me long to realize these moments
have likely always happened. We just didn’t really didn’t have the means to see them.
If you look closely, there are 5 sharks in this scene. The dolphin continues on its path, but
the sharks are pretty much undisturbed. This is a pretty common sight in many locations these days.
There is data showing shark populations in Southern California have risen.
There are roughly twenty million people within 60 miles of the coast in southern california.
With more people in the water, encounters are inevitable. I’m often asked if I warn people
about sharks. I believe warn is the wrong word. I choose to inform folks entering the water nearby
of shark activity. That’s exactly what happened in the next scenario. The following clips you
may have seen worldwide in various media. One of the men about to enter the water asked me
if there were sharks in the area. That man happened to be actor Orlando Bloom.
I let him know indeed there were sharks nearby. As he and his friend entered the water I let them
know that if they saw my drone fly down to the water’s surface, there would be a shark nearby.
I instructed them that if they saw a shark, it may likely approach them, and then disappear before
reappearing behind them. This is the behavior I’ve normally observed in the past. I let them
know to look behind them should they lose sight of the shark. It didn’t take long to find one.
Personally, I was interested in learning whether or not he could see the shark nearby.
So as they paddled, the shark did indeed approach them. And it’s obvious they can’t
see it. There’s actually a second shark just to the right if you look closely.
As I brought the drone down, they became aware of the shark.
And here Bloom is actually right next to the shark, yet in discussions afterwards,
he could not see the shark at this point even though it was next to them.
As it came between them, they still could not see the shark. So I moved the drone over to
give them a location to look toward. And just as predicted, the shark appeared just behind them.
It’s clear they see it now.
This shark is very calm. Something you can see here is just how wide the pectoral fins are.
A sign of a calm shark.
Here, Bloom gets a very nice view of a calm juvenile white shark.
For reference his board is 10 feet long. He approaches slowly, and takes a look.
The shark, in text book style, just eases away
or does it?. Take a look at this. Just as we think the shark is not interested,
it’s actually turned right back toward him.
The interesting thing to observe is how the sharks often seem to just curiously hang around. In this
encounter the shark kept turning back toward Bloom and he did exactly as you should do,
by keeping the shark in front of him. Encounters like this
likely happen every day here in southern California. I’ve filmed
many encounters such as this one and I’ve never seen a shark turn aggressive toward a human.
As Bloom approaches the shark here, you can once again see how wide the pectoral fins appear.
In my discussions with Bloom afterward, we talked about the experience,
but the thing I was not surprised to hear was just how hard it is to actually see the shark nearby.
In most cases, without the drone, water goers wouldn’t see the shark.
In the end, it was a great encounter for Orlando and I’m happy to use this footage to raise even
more awareness about these animals that inhabiting the southern california coast. But I totally
believe that many swimmers in Southern California have been near a shark at some point. Hopefully
encounters such as this, serve to show that these sharks are truly misunderstood. It
is wise to remember that the clips here are juvenile sharks in Southern California. And
while shark attacks are rare worldwide,
education is paramount to how, when, and where you enter the water.
Especially if you can’t see the sharks when you
enter the water. This guy never saw the shark heading towards him.
There’s one group of water goers that knows there are sharks near them.
The surfers of Southern California. In my discussions with various surfers along the coast,
nearly all of them will tell you they are aware sharks share the water with them. It is refreshing
to see many surfers coexist with sharks. The respect is always there. Look no further than
this clip as evidence that surfers know they are there. But they aren’t keen on where exactly.
The surfers don’t see the shark yet, their focus is likely on the next wave.
Notice this shark is tagged. That is an acoustic tag placed by the SharkLab at Cal
State Long Beach. The sharks appear to be aware of the surfers.
But here, at this moment. The one surfer points down.
He clearly sees it. He lets his friends know, and they all watch intently. There’s no panic.
In fact, they continue surfing. That is mutual respect.
It’s also an understanding of the nature around them. And from talking to many surfers, they
know, from dolphins, to turtles, to sharks, they recognize they are among a variety of sea life.
What I see everyday is beauty along our coast.
These dolphins had a few hundred people cheering them on on the beach.. It was an amazing display.
Deep down, everybody loves nature. And the nature that exists here in Southern California
is often taken for granted. So much happens daily, you just have to be observant.
While we stand on the shores, some pretty amazing things are happening.
Watch as these dolphins come face to face with what is essentially a baby white shark.
You can’t help but wonder how many times a scene like this has played out while you were
sitting on the beach. Think about what’s out there and don’t take it for granted.
If you enjoy this content, please like and subscribe. I encourage you to also visit the
links I’ve included to some organizations that are helping to protect our oceans.