The birth of a great white shark has never been seen, as far as scientists are aware, but Carlos Gauna may have captured the closest thing to that.
Carlos, also known as TheMalibuArtist, has become well-known on YouTube for his drone footage of breathtaking views of sharks from above.
“You’re basically viewing the sharks through a magnifying glass that they don’t know is watching them,” he explains.
His tens of millions of views on YouTube feature great white sharks swimming dangerously near to people.
Sometimes it does make my heart rate go up. I have never witnessed a shark become hostile or exhibit violent behavior.
Carlos’s heart began to race last year when he saw something of a different kind on a beach close to Santa Barbara, California.
When he came across something he had never seen before, he had already seen big sharks in the region.
“This little bitty white, almost albino-looking, white shark came up to the surface,” he continues.
More characteristics of the shark were visible as Carlos lowered his drone closer. The entire thing appeared white, yet the white covering appeared to be peeling off.
Carlos was accompanied at the time by University of California, Riverside shark researcher Phil Sternes, who was astounded by what he was witnessing.
“I’m like, ‘oh my goodness, this could be a newborn’,” he continues.
At that moment, we’re both jumping out of our seats with enthusiasm. It was a memorable occasion.
Phil got really enthused about the shark’s shape—its fins were rounder than normal. Newborn sharks and their embryos exhibit that.
According to him, the white covering might have been proof that the shark was still a newborn and had mucous on its body.
The University of San Diego’s James Worthington assisted the two in estimating the size of the shark. He estimated the drone’s length to be about 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) using the crop factor and its distance from the sea’s surface. This makes it the ideal size for a newborn.
