While trying to figure out if great white sharks are aware of drones watching from above, I discover an unbelievable behavior you have to see to believe. In this episode, we also explore the visual sensing abilities of great white sharks using drone footage I've captured along the Southern California coast. From juvenile white sharks to full-grown adults, the video investigates whether sharks can see or react to drone shadows—revealing surprising behaviors that may open doors to future shark deterrent research. Featuring real shark reactions, spyhopping behavior, and insights into electroreception, vision, and the lateral line system, this week's video offers a rare aerial perspective on shark behavior. Annual "BEST' OF" video is out now. https://youtu.be/MykFdjv26fU?si=tFGtW7OyJOAvJgNT MERCH store is now LIVE. Check out my latest designs. https://themalibuartist-shop.fourthwall.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is greatly appreciated on this channel. Please visit my Patreon page to support more videos like this. Thank you! https://www.patreon.com/TheMalibuArtist 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all footage licensing inquiries please reach out directly to me via the contact form on my website. All music has been licensed for use. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

In this episode, we examine why great white sharks appear to show increased interest in kayaks—especially those used for fishing—based on years of drone footage captured along the Southern California coast. Through real-world encounters, we analyze potential factors such as silhouette, movement, vibration, and scent that may influence shark behavior. With a focus on observational data and patterns seen in the wild, this video offers insight into the subtle, often misunderstood interactions between sharks and humans on the water. LINK to Viral Kayak Video: https://youtu.be/bsZOn0R8VH8?si=9gh4S5jlVGQncs2u Thanks to my friend Dronsey for the use of the brief clip showing the massive shark approach a kayak. MERCH store is now LIVE. Check out my latest designs. https://themalibuartist-shop.fourthwall.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is greatly appreciated on this channel. Please visit my Patreon page to support more videos like this. Thank you! https://www.patreon.com/TheMalibuArtist 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all footage licensing inquiries please reach out directly to me via the contact form on my website. All music has been licensed for use. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

What started as a search for sharks quickly turned into something extraordinary, with humpback whales breaching beside gray whales in the Sea of Cortez. Join me on an unforgettable journey through the Baja Peninsula. I also find the largest gathering of gray whales I’ve ever seen—completely by surprise. From powerful tail slaps to playful calf breaches, this episode captures rare moments between species and offers a front-row seat to some of the most awe-inspiring marine behavior on the planet. Annual "BEST' OF" video is out now. https://youtu.be/MykFdjv26fU?si=tFGtW7OyJOAvJgNT MERCH store is now LIVE. Check out my latest designs. https://themalibuartist-shop.fourthwall.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is greatly appreciated on this channel. Please visit my Patreon page to support more videos like this. Thank you! https://www.patreon.com/TheMalibuArtist 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. All music has been licensed for use. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

In my first Monthly Wrap-up of 2025, I finally find great white sharks! I also film leopard sharks and juvenile great white sharks gathering in shallow coastal waters along Southern California. Drawn by warmer temperatures despite a colder-than-normal start to the year due to La Niña, I get an opportunity to film white sharks in crystal-clear water. And or course I film white sharks swimming near surfers. We look into explanations of their seasonal behavior and I'll discuss insights into why great whites have been harder to find this year. Annual "BEST' OF" video is out now. https://youtu.be/MykFdjv26fU?si=tFGtW7OyJOAvJgNT MERCH store is now LIVE. Check out my latest designs. https://themalibuartist-shop.fourthwall.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is greatly appreciated on this channel. Please visit my Patreon page to support more videos like this. Thank you! https://www.patreon.com/TheMalibuArtist 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all footage licensing inquiries please reach out directly to me via the contact form on my website. All music has been licensed for use. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

Whale sharks are the largest fish in the ocean—and one of its most mysterious. In this episode, I explore their world through stunning aerial and underwater footage captured in the Sea of Cortez. Learn surprising facts about their size, unique patterns, feeding behavior, and why they’re considered gentle giants. Along the way, we take a look at a rare moment—an unexpected encounter with great white sharks sharing the same waters. This video offers an up-close look at one of nature’s most awe-inspiring species and the fragile ecosystems they call home. ------------------------- Very special thanks to Bridget Nugent for capturing the underwater whale shark and great white shark footage while I flew the drone above. Special thanks to David Fox for capturing the incredible underwater whale shark and great white shark footage. ------------------------ Annual "BEST' OF" video is out now. https://youtu.be/MykFdjv26fU?si=tFGtW7OyJOAvJgNT MERCH store is now LIVE. Check out my latest designs. https://themalibuartist-shop.fourthwall.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is greatly appreciated on this channel. Please visit my Patreon page to support more videos like this. Thank you! https://www.patreon.com/TheMalibuArtist Or join my YouTube Crew or Explorer Membership. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTERS 00:00:20- Facts about Whale Sharks 00:03:00- Whale Sharks Feeding on Plankton 00:04:50- Whale Shark Encounters Great White Sharks -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all footage licensing inquiries please reach out directly to me via the contact form on my website. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All music has been licensed for use. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

This week, I visit the bustling shores of Huntington Beach—where I finally spot my first great white shark of 2025—and then head to the cliffs of Point Dume in Malibu, where I share a powerful whale-watching experience with my 3-year-old son. Featuring stunning drone footage, shark encounters near surfers, migrating gray whales, a massive bait ball of feeding dolphins, and even a rare mola mola sighting, this video is a celebration of marine life along the California coast. Annual "BEST' OF" video is out now. https://youtu.be/MykFdjv26fU?si=tFGtW7OyJOAvJgNT MERCH store is now LIVE. Check out my latest designs. https://themalibuartist-shop.fourthwall.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is greatly appreciated on this channel. Please visit my Patreon page to support more videos like this. Thank you! https://www.patreon.com/TheMalibuArtist Or join my YouTube Crew or Explorer Membership. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTERS 00:00:33- Searching for Great Whites in Huntington Beach, CA 00:04:06- Searching for sea life in Malibu, CA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all footage licensing inquiries please reach out directly to me via the contact form on my website. All music has been licensed for use. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

How many great white sharks are left in the world? In this video, we dive into the latest population studies of great white sharks, from the rebounding numbers in Cape Cod to the concerning decline in South Africa and the groundbreaking research of the California White Shark Project. Using satellite tracking, photo ID, and decades of fieldwork, scientists are piecing together a clearer picture of these elusive apex predators. Are their numbers increasing or disappearing before our eyes? ------------------------------------------ MERCH store is now LIVE. Check out my latest designs. https://themalibuartist-shop.fourthwall.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is greatly appreciated on this channel. Please visit my Patreon page to support more videos like this. Thank you! https://www.patreon.com/TheMalibuArtist Or join my YouTube Crew or Explorer Membership. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTERS 00:02:01- Cape Cod great white shark population 00:05:10- South Africa's great white shark population declines 00:07:15- California White Shark Project population study --------------------------------- CITATIONS: Further Research CAPE COD Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC) Population Study https://www.atlanticwhiteshark.org/white-shark-news/2023/8/1/study-presents-first-population-estimate-for-white-sharks-off-cape-cod-massachusetts AWSC Shark Study Logbook (Shark IDs) https://www.atlanticwhiteshark.org/white-shark-research LINK to "Chasing Shadows" Book https://www.harpercollins.com/products/chasing-shadows-greg-skomalret-talbot?variant=41120605995042 --- SOUTH AFRICA Evidence of cascading ecosystem effects following the loss of white sharks from False Bay, South Africa https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1530362/full South Africa Orca & Great White Shark Study "Direct observation of killer whales preying on white sharks and evidence of a flight response" https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.3875 Further insights into killer whales Orcinus orca preying on white sharks Carcharodon carcharias in South Africa https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2989/1814232X.2024.2311272 CALIFORNIA List of California White Shark Project population studies and research https://www.californiawhitesharkproject.org/research-1 Estimates of regional annual abundance and population growth rates of white sharks off central California https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320721001567 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all footage licensing inquiries please reach out directly to me via the contact form on my website. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all footage licensing inquiries please reach out directly to me via the contact form on my website. All music has been licensed for use. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.