Isla Guadalupe, Baja California, Mexico
Predatory breach for a light snack!
This is the latest into November that I’ve ever come out to Guadalupe Island with Nautilus to see the white sharks.
In the past we would have already been at the Socorro Islands doing the manta dance but this year Captain Mike decided to extend our season to see what kind of shark action we might encounter.
On this our last Great White Shark expedition for this year we have encountered more than enough action to justify the extended season. Over the past few days we’ve had at least 12 different individual white sharks keeping us company in our cages, and have had 3-4 at a time circling us on several occasions. Today we had 3 large females come by for a visit, as well as a few feisty males. The big females behavior quite recognizable as the behavior of a dominant animal: slow, deliberate movement and the confidence to approach the cages without fear to within a couple of feet at many times. You can almost feel them sizing you up while they stare into your eyes as they glide past, blotting out the light and giving you a primal rush that leaves you feeling shaky afterward. The males behavior is often quite different, especially the smaller ones, with quicker movements and often appearing out of nowhere suddenly before just as suddenly bolting off. Today we witnessed a very unusual event, something I’ve never seen before here. One medium-small male, who had been darting about the cages for most of the day, suddenly bolted for the surface
at top speed. Now, it’s not unusual to see white sharks here breach, however this one was not just breaching, he was going after a seagull! He committed himself from a depth of about 40 feet and we all watched as he made a vertical beeline, straight for a seagull with it’s little legs dangling beneath the surface, before hitting it at top speed and exiting the water almost completely. This unusual event was also witnessed by several people from the surface. Very cool indeed!
Tomorrow we’ll have a short day in the cages before heading for Isla Cedros, closer to the mainland, to spend a morning diving with sealions, guadalupe fur seals and harbor seals at a rookery at the north end of the island.
Water temp: 23C
Captain Gordon looking back at our Guadalupe white shark season..
