Drone technology has revolutionized the world.
From warfare to photography to groceries delivered on your front lawn (or did that one slip through the technological cracks, à la Google Glass?), drones have seen a sharp increase in assimilation into our daily lives and, likely, it’s only the beginning.
Scientifically, they’ve been used to study animals undisturbed, from high above their natural habitats. Like sharks, for example, and a recent study from CSULB’s Shark Lab, which used drones to find that sharks were near surfers 97% of the time at certain southern California beaches. Or this one below, in which a great white shark exhibits a strange behavior, as it interacts with the shadow from an overhead drone.
Carlos Gauna, the drone operator behind the endlessly fascinating drone wildlife YouTube channel, The Malibu Artist, titled the video above:
“Large Great White Shark Chases Drone Shadow Like a Laser Pointer.”
Like a cat chasing around a red dot from a laser pointer, the shark notices the drone’s shadow, and seems to chase it. For food? For fun? Unclear.
The footage comes from southern California, where Gauna captures most of his shark footage; and regarding this specific clip, he told SURFER:
“I’ve seen sharks show interest in shadows of birds, standup paddle boarders, and my drone on occasion. But it’s mainly reactions to changes in light. While most of my footage with the drone is taken with the concept of not disturbing the sharks, this video is different. The sharks do react to a shadow but it’s vital for me to know the angle where the shadow is so I can be mindful of it in the future so I can observe naturally. I still used this opportunity to gain insights on how keen the sharks are to changes in light.”
As with all his videos, Gauna offers this 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.”
Maybe not a scientist, but The Malibu Artist continues to capture nearly unparalleled footage of drones in their natural habitat, and their interactions with surfers.
Stay tuned for more.
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