From filming the ocean from above for years… to finally taking my first real steps underwater. This is my journey to becoming a certified scuba diver — and it has changed the way I see the ocean forever. With help from Nautilus Liveaboards and Mares, I trained in the pool, completed my first open-water dives, and then traveled to Bahía de los Ángeles to experience something truly unforgettable: swimming alongside a feeding whale shark in the Sea of Cortez. Along the way, I explored underwater arches, dove with playful sea lions, shared a moment with a friendly turtle, and learned what it really means to feel comfortable beneath the surface. This is just the beginning. One dive at a time… I’m discovering a whole new world under the blue. 📸 Featured Partners Nautilus Liveaboards — https://nautilusliveaboards.com Mares — https://www.mares.com 🐋 Watch More ➡️ Great White Shark Encounters: • Kayaker Gets Close to a Massive Great Whit... ➡️ Orcas Take Down a Humpback Whale: • Orcas Take Down a Humpback Whale – Rare Dr... 📸 Follow My Journey: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/themalibuartist Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/TheMalibuArtist Website → https://www.themalibuartist.com 🎵 Music licensed through Soundstripe MERCH STORE: Check out my latest designs. https://themalibuartist-shop.fourthwa... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is greatly appreciated on this channel. Please visit my Patreon page to support more videos like this. 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.

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 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. 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🌊 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.

An incredible encounter with a pod of orcas scaring a sea lion towards our boat— it swam right beneath our boat in a desperate attempt to escape. Filmed from both above and below the surface, this rare moment shows just how smart and coordinated orcas can be during the hunt — and how instinctive a sea lion’s fight for survival really is. From searching the ocean to witnessing a rare orca–elephant seal encounter, this day had everything — intensity, beauty, and the kind of moments that remind me why I do this. As autumn arrives and winter approaches, the California coast becomes a gathering place for the ocean’s apex predators. Each year I charter a boat with Pacific Offshore Expeditions for an Apex Quest. This is the first Apex Quest of the season, and it didn’t disappoint. We encountered two different pods, including a group of 10 orcas traveling together. One female, known as “Jagged,” gave us some of the most unforgettable moments I’ve ever filmed — both from above and below the surface. Join me as I take you behind the scenes of what it’s like to search for killer whales along the California coast. 🎥 Chapters 01:05 – Searching 200 Miles of Coast 02:37 – Orcas Hunt giant Elephant Seal 05:30 – A New Pod Appears 07:44 – Meeting “Jagged” 09:34 – Orcas Chase a Sea Lion to our Boat 🐋 Watch More ➡️ Great White Shark Encounters: https://youtu.be/RhFUvVZLnUQ?si=Dwa--JsMPgVGnm8V ➡️ Orcas Take Down a Humpback Whale: https://youtu.be/JrKZlbD4ZgE?si=iFVrFQdUa1JWM562 🌊 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. 📸 Follow My Journey: Instagram → @themalibuartist Facebook → @themalibuartist Website → https://www.themalibuartist.com 🎵 Music licensed through Soundstripe 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.

Great White Sharks LIVE Stream from my Drone. Depending on conditions, LIVE streams will vary. I will try to go LIVE once I've found a shark to make this feed more active and enjoyable. Most footage will be sharks just swimming, but occasionally, we should see something special. Your support is greatly appreciated on this channel. Please visit my Patreon page to support more videos like this. Or join my YouTube Crew or Explorer Membership.

What if your fear of sharks isn’t about the shark at all… but about the music? In this video, I revisit one of the most-watched shark encounters ever — a swimmer unknowingly passing a great white shark — to show just how much music changes what we feel and believe we’re seeing. Same footage. Same shark. Two completely different emotions. If you want high-quality, cinematic music for your own videos, check out Soundstripe here: www.soundstripe.com Check out my favorite Shark soundtrack selections in my playlist! https://app.soundstripe.com/playlists/music/550231 🎵 Special thanks to Soundstripe for sponsoring this video and for supporting real musicians (not AI) who bring these moments to life. 💬 Which version felt more real to you? — the calm one or the dramatic one? Let me know in the comments. 🐋 Watch next: [https://youtu.be/c37dmHnQ-60?si=Rotyg9pD4QYJsCas] 📸 Follow more shark encounters on Instagram: @TheMalibuArtist — About This Video: Captured along the California coast, this juvenile great white shark encounter shows how peaceful — and misunderstood — these moments can be. When paired with calm music, the scene feels serene and natural. Add a suspenseful soundtrack, and it suddenly becomes a thriller. This video explores how sound design and the legacy of Jaws have shaped how we view one of the ocean’s most remarkable animals. — Timestamps: 00:00 You’ve seen this clip before… 01:05 The power of music 01:35 Calm version — the natural encounter 04:08 Scary version — the Jaws effect 06:00 How music shapes emotion 07:02 Young Swimmers Get Close to Great White Shark 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.