Drone Video: Great White Sharks Off California's Coast Are More Common Than You Think
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - A Malibu wildlife photographer has gathered an incredible collection of videos showing just how many close encounters between great white sharks and humans there actually are off the coast of Southern California.
Swimmers, paddlers, and surfers get close to the world's biggest sharks on a daily basis nowadays, the drone videos show.
Carlos Gauna has spent hours capturing aerial shots of sharks from San Diego to Santa Barbara. His videos have gone viral on social media, some showing sharks swimming within feet of unsuspecting people.
"I've flown out 10,000 feet and found a shark. I've flown at 50 yards and found a shark," said Guana. "This is where they live. They've always lived here in Southern California."
Experts say if you are in the ocean, great whites are close by every day, on every beach in Southern California. But they also say it is nothing to worry about, as shark attacks are rare.
"They're made out to be scary animals and there's a lot of drama associated with them but in reality, they're not like that at all," said Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at Cal State University, Long Beach.
Researchers have used Guana's drone videos to help track shark behavior. They are trying to learn how to predict where sharks will gather and when to better inform lifeguards and the public of their whereabouts.
