A striking video captures a large, battle-scarred great white shark, measuring about 10 feet long, seemingly pondering whether to bite children swimming off Southern California’s coast.
This footage, shot by Carlos Gauna—often referred to as the Malibu Artist—shows the shark gliding directly towards a child.
The predator edges closer, swimming within feet of the child before circling back for a second look, only to then swim away without causing any harm.
The children and nearby residents were mostly oblivious to the shark’s presence, happily waving at the drone. Gauna admitted he felt a surge of fear in that moment.
“This shark usually gets close to people, but on this occasion, I was genuinely anxious,” Gauna shared with a news outlet. “My heart was racing.”
In a follow-up Instagram post, he mentioned that he had observed this particular shark, which bore injuries on its back and dorsal fin likely from a boat propeller, being more curious about humans than other sharks he’d encountered.
“I don’t get nervous often, but this time was an exception. The young swimmers were completely unaware of the danger—I was standing over a mile away,” he noted.
Gauna elaborated on his observations, stating that the shark seemed very active, having witnessed it displaying erratic behavior and seemingly searching for easier prey, though the reasons for its increased interactions with humans remain uncertain.
Commenters on Facebook were alarmed by the shark’s proximity, urging caution: “If you see a drone above while swimming, it’s best to get out of the water immediately,” one user cautioned.
Another chimed in, stating, “If you spot a drone while at sea, running away should be your first thought.”
Interestingly, another shark videographer had a close call in late April when a great white shark lunged and bit his camera during an outing off the coast.
“I’ve been around a lot of them,” Gauna remarked, reflecting on his experiences. “They typically don’t attack like that.”
Gauna documented the incredible interaction from various angles.
“It varies from day to day, but I like to have three cameras—an aerial drone, two mounted on my kayak, and sometimes one on me,” he explained.
