The Malibu Artist, a shark YouTuber, caught a man in a dinosaur costume paddleboarding near a great white shark on his drone. This comical, yet eye-opening footage shows us that we never really know what is happening in the deep ocean waters.
The Malibu Artist
Carlos, aka The Malibu Artist, is a professional drone pilot and photographer based in Southern California. His specialty is capturing footage of sharks in the area, most of which he says are just sharks ‘chilling’. However, he does capture unique content!
May Gray
Carlos says that May and June have been quiet on the shark spotting font due to the flat and grey ocean. This is also why this time is known as May Gray and June Gloom, and has been driving Carlos nuts, as the marine layer has been hindering his shark searches.
Harder
However, this doesn’t mean he can’t find sharks with his drone, it’s just harder! And one thing about this time of the year Carlos says, is that juvenile sharks start to appear more and more as the water warms. This is a good thing as there is more cool shark footage to capture, and it means that the shark population is still healthy and growing.
Two Fin
One shark with a particular scar behind his dorsal fin caught Carlos’ eye – an injury that allows the shark to be easily identified if their paths cross again. The shark he named Two Fin is around 7 feet long, making it a relatively young shark and luckily the injury should heal quite easily!
Never Know
In late May, Carlos spotted another young shark swimming in the ocean. One he hasn’t seen before and that appears to be young. Yet, you never know what you’ll see in the ocean, and on this day Carlos came across a pretty interesting situation!
Sorry, A What?
On this day Carlos spotted a Dinosaur paddleboarding (an interesting sight by itself) near the newly spotted great white juvenile! Yes, you read correctly, a guy in a dinosaur costume was paddleboarding in the ocean close to a great white shark.
Unaware
The dinosaur paddleboarder had his own drone filming his escapades in the ocean and seemed to be unaware of the shark swimming near him. Again this proves that one just never knows what you’ll see when you’re out filming sharks!
Another Mysterious Object
Carlos encountered another mysterious object in the ocean during a routine search. And he did what everyone does, he posted the question to social media. The responses he got were far-reaching, claiming that it was a megalodon fin (these sharks have been extinct for millions of years).
Less Far Fetched
Other people thought that the mysterious object might be part of a sailboat – a much more realistic possibility! However, the mystery object remained a mystery still. With the tides coming and going, Carlos searched for the object again to find his answer.
Mystery Solved
A couple of weeks and miles later, he found the mystery object again. This time it was clear to see that it was, in fact, a piece of a boat. And disappointing many by the truth – the megalodon is still extinct!
Offshore Jellies
On another filming expedition, Carlos’ drone captured footage of another great white shark swimming in Southern California. This shark, however, was swimming with some white specs which are actually blue. These are called Velella velella, jelly-like creatures but not jellyfish.
Velella velella
These are offshore animals that are blown to the coast by the wind. Velella velella, commonly known as by-the-wind sailors, are floating hydrozoans living in the open ocean. These blue jelly-like creatures are carnivores feeding on plankton which they catch with their tentacles.
Intrigue
Along their path created by the winds, Velella velellas cross paths with sharks, which Carlos finds intriguing. Although it might seem like something small, it is an interesting sight to see, and one of the things that remind us of how intricate and beautiful our oceans are.
Not Sharks
In his search for sharks in Southern California, Carlos also finds other beautiful footage of the amazing creatures living in the ocean. Like these dolphins playing and having fun in the kelp!
Important Work
Carlos’ work seems like a dream job! And even though that might be true, the importance of what he is doing lies in the education he brings to his viewers. Unfortunately, sharks are feared by many due to the dramatized horror stories displayed via media, and his content helps us better understand and respect these stunning creatures.
Sharks in Southern California
Sharks are quite common in Southern California, with about 36 species that call the area home. Even though there are many sharks here, the chances of a shark attacking you are extremely rare! And if an attack does occur, it is mostly due to a case of mistaken identity and not from a malicious place.
Importance of Shark Conservation
Shark conservation is extremely important to keep the ocean’s ecosystem healthy. Many species are under threat due to overfishing and accidental bycatching. As apex predators, sharks feed on fish and other marine animals, usually the sick or slow, preventing illness from spreading and keeping the ecosystem healthy!
The Footage
From a dinosaur paddleboarding with a great white shark, a fake megalodon sighting to the interesting jelly-like Velella velella, Carlos’ footage widely educates us on the sharks in Southern California oceans! You can watch the entire video here!
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