Text from the video:
This was an amazing, possibly once-in-a-lifetime encounter with a very small, 4-5 foot, possibly young-of-the-year great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). Although it’s pretty typical to see 12-18 foot great whites out here, the little ones are usually thought to be pupped down off of Southern California and Mexico. How this little guy wound up this far North is anyone’s guess, though it is possible that the sustained 60-plus degree waters around Central California and in the Monterey Bay may have drawn this youngster up a bit further than expected.
The video was filmed with a GoPro mounted an extendable pole, lowered into the water from my friend Andrew Kim and the Monterey Abalone Farm’s dinghy. Thanks y’all! Go buy some abalone!
And so that everyone is square, this was an amazing moment with a young famous fish. There was no danger, no fear, no consequences possible outside of being flattened by the whale watch boats coming back to the dock. This is just one of the amazing moments I’ve had the chance to witness of beautiful wildlife doing their thing in the majestic Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary!
Cheers, and I’ll see you out in the Bay!
Patrick
