Dale Pearson lives on the coast in Baja California, Mexico. From his windows, he can expect to see seabirds, whales, and dolphins. What he does not typically expect to see is a fifteen foot white shark in the shallows.
Pearson captured the shark and uploaded the video to his company’s Facebook page, Pearson Brothers Winery, where it went viral.
Pearson was able to wade into the water within meters of the shark. Careful to stay behind the beast, since sharks have trouble swimming or moving backwards, he captured the unusual appearance of the great white. Be warned that the language in the video is graphic.
During the encounter and upon rewatching the video, Pearson determined what had happened to the shark. It bore two wounds just behind its dorsal fin, both a result of a boat propeller. The shark was spotted elsewhere along the coast in the following days. Pearson believes it was hunting in the shallows, where there is easier prey than sea lions or large fish in the open ocean. This easier prey was most likely sting rays; the shallows near Pearson’s home are populated with so many rays that his friend even receives a sting from one while the camera was rolling.
In the video, Pearson says “he was hit by a propeller on his spine, he was mortally wounded” in reference to the shark. This statement is followed by him declaring the shark is “not going to make it.” Although Pearson is familiar with marine wildlife as a dive boat operator, The Marine Conservation Science Institute corrected him. When they shared the video on their Facebook page, they explained the injuries “would likely not kill the shark.” Pearson recognizes this as well in his voiceover at the end of the video.
Many people fear sharks as violent creatures, but this one did no harm. Neither Pearson nor his friend were threatened by the shark and it left the direct area by the following morning. We can only assume Pearson’s keeps his eyes peeled now, in hopes of spotting another shark or other rare coastal wildlife near his home.
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