Quick Take
- The drone capturing this terrifying footage wasn't piloted by a marine biologist or wildlife crew, and the person actually behind it will genuinely surprise you. Meet the 12-year-old filmmaker →
- The shark swam away, and then it did something no one on the beach anticipated. See what the shark did next →
- Movies have convinced us that great white sharks hunt humans, but the science tells a completely different story. See the science on shark attacks →
- Just because a great white isn't hunting you doesn't mean you're safe, and this video proves exactly why. Watch the close call footage →
Some of our best memories as kids can probably include at least one day at the beach. There’s just something about getting the family out to the beach. The parents are basking in the sun, the little kids are building sandcastles, and the older ones are trying to surf and show off.
Well, on this bright and sunny day in California, a scene like this is exactly what this family had in mind. However, their vision for this perfect day did not include a great white shark. Don’t miss the video at the top!
Great White Shark Sighting in Southern California
The YouTube video at the beginning of this blog post shares footage of a great white shark being tracked in Southern California. The Great White Drone YouTube page filmed and then posted this video on their channel to share with their 31,100+ subscribers. This undertaking is carried out by a 12-year-old boy! He has a passion for sharks and wants to share their beauty with the world and raise awareness about protecting them from harm and extinction.
Shark Gets Dangerously Close to Little Boy
At the start of the video, we see a little boy out on a boogie board in the crystal green and blue California water. Abruptly, we see a massive great white shark enters the frame and starts swimming straight toward the child.
At first seeming to swim away, once it detects the boy turning his board, the shark surprises us all and follows suit. Close on his heels, the great white shark is now literally inches away from the boy. The boy stays there momentarily, and the shark swims away in the opposite direction.
Do Great White Sharks Eat Humans?
Great white sharks are carnivores that prey on seals, seal lions, and dolphins.
©Martin Heyn/iStock via Getty Images
Between movies such as Jaws, The Reef, Sharknado, Maneater, and Deep Blue Sea, it’s difficult to think there could be any other answer to this question other than “Of course, great white sharks eat people!”
However, the answer isn’t as simple as that. Great white sharks are not out to hunt people because human flesh is part of their daily diet. Live Science states, “Great white sharks have almost no interest in eating humans, study confirms.”
But we don’t want to give the wrong impression here. Just because sharks aren’t regularly hunting people for food doesn’t mean they will not attack. “White sharks are among the top three species most likely to injure humans.” These sharks are incredibly dangerous and able to cause great harm or even death to those who cross their paths. Lucky for this boy, this shark was not interested!
