The shark splashes and thrashes through the water. Throughout the sighting, its fin and tail are above the water. The men speculate that it is a Hammerhead Shark. Quickly, they realize that it is the ultimate ocean hunter, a Great White Shark. These sharks have around 300 serrated teeth with a bite force of up to 4,000 psi. This is one of the strongest bites among all animals living today. No wonder these men were both amazed and nervous at getting so close to the shark. That doesn’t deter them from wanting to see it even closer up, however.

Up Close with Nature

Holding the camera, they run toward the shark to check it out. Once they get close, they realize that the shark is actually injured. “It’s been hit by a propeller,” the man behind the camera narrates as he gets closer. The injury is visible just behind the shark’s upright dorsal fin. The shark remains mostly still in the water, just moving its tail back and forth slightly. Eventually, it regains some strength and begins to thrash back and forth again in rapid movements. Wisely, the man backs away from the shark. He calls back to others watching in Spanish, telling them about the injury on the shark’s back, or espalda. The shark turns back toward the man. It lifts its head out of the water slightly. Everyone sees the telltale white belly, characteristic of a Great White Shark. “He was hit by a propeller on his spine,” he calls back to the others. “He’s mortally wounded. He’s bleeding. Bleeding out. He’s not going to make it.” Pausing, he watches the shark in the water. “Poor guy,” he says to himself. In what might be the first smart move they made during the video, they decide to leave the shark to its own devices. “If you’re wondering, there are Great White Sharks here in the Sea of Cortez,” the man tells those watching the video.

Changing Tides

The tide continues to bring the shark closer and closer to the beach as it comes in. A stingray gets one of the other men nearby, prompting an end to the video in favor of getting medical care. The narrator ends by saying that the shark was seen for at least two days following this encounter at various places nearby. The video creator hypothesizes that the shark’s injury is causing it to seek out shallow water prey like stingrays. Up Next:

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