iStockphoto / yucelozel / RamonCarretero
great white shark next to paddleboarder
Two paddleboarders off Santa Barbara, California were stalked by a curious great white shark recently. The entire interaction was captured by a drone pilot on the shore who spotted the shark and flew overhead in an effort to try and alert the paddleboarders to the presence of the young great white.
This all started with the two paddleboarders hearing there was a great white shark in the area. So what did they do? They paddled out to try and find the shark themselves.
Great White Shark Stalks Paddleboarders In Southern California
Instead of finding the shark, it found them. The woman’s uncle was the gentleman flying the drone and he flew it in vain while attempting to get their attention. Ultimately, they made it out of there safely.
The shark is very clearly a juvenile. Paddleboards typically range from 8-14′ long with the most common length in the 10-11′ range. This shark appears to be slightly smaller than the board itself and juvenile great white sharks range between 4-10′ from the time they’re born to the ‘sub-adult’ phase which is 10-12′ in length.
Check it out:
The video has already racked up nearly 500K views in the past 5 hours on X, after it was shared by ABC News. Viewers are amazed that these paddleboarders could be so close to the shark and completely unaware of its presence despite the shark breaching the surface several times.
This is a particularly active time of year for sharks in Southern California. Water temperatures are perfect. Seals and sea lions are abundant. I was in Marina del Rey / Venice Beach last week and spent at least an hour just watching sea lions feed in the marina. At one point during a run I saw a carcass washed up on the rocks at the entrance of the marina and all I could think about is how that would surely draw in sharks within hours.
A drone photographer captured the moment a great white shark stalked a pair of paddleboarders off the coast of California. pic.twitter.com/CXIqtLIYh8
— ABC News (@ABC) June 24, 2026
Ultimately, the paddleboarders were safe. The curious great white shark went about its business and they madeit back to shore safely. All’s well that ends well.