A great white shark appeared right behind my kayak — with NO chum, NO bait, and NO artificial stimulus in the water.
This was one of the calmest and most natural shark encounters I’ve ever filmed, and it gave me a rare look at how great whites behave around humans when nothing is influencing their movement or energy. For years, I’ve watched these animals from the air.
On this day, my friend Eric "Dronsey", shark scientist Samantha Mladjov of UC Santa Barbara, and I were kayaking near a pod of dolphins when a sub-adult white shark emerged. Today, I shared the water with them — respectfully, calmly, and without interference. This video shows what really happens when a great white shark appears near a kayak in its natural environment, and why understanding their true behavior matters.
With the drone in the air, we were able to capture the entire encounter from above and below, including:
🦈 A 12–13 ft great white calmly approaching the kayak 🦈 No feeding response, no chum, no blood — just natural behavior 🦈 How white sharks act around kayaks when undisturbed 🦈 A returning female shark I’ve filmed for three years 🦈 Evidence of longline/gillnet injuries and how these sharks survive them
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Or join my YouTube Crew or Explorer Membership. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all footage licensing inquiries please reach out directly to me via the contact form on my website. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🌊 About The Malibu Artist I’m Carlos Gauna, wildlife cinematographer and storyteller. My goal is to explore how we see the ocean’s most misunderstood predators — and to show the wild, unfiltered moments that happen just beyond the surf.
DISCLAIMER: I'm NOT a marine biologist. As with all YouTube content, I encourage independent verification of facts via official scientific and trustworthy sources. I will strive to post citations for any information I discuss here whenever possible. My goal is to use photography and drones to bring awareness to wildlife and the nature around us. I welcome collaborations with scientists to bring cinematic elements to the educational presentation. If my drone work can assist in the study of these animals, please reach out to me.
