Boat Hits Great White Shark: First-Ever Caught on Camera?

Gauna shows a great white shark being struck by a boat passing by above. And the shark suffers significant injuries from the collision. It’s a tough watch, because the shark is clearly hurt – a large gash, presumably from the boat’s propeller, showing on its tail.

“These creatures are built for survival,” Gauna narrates. “But even they are vulnerable, because out here, in an ocean shared with people, they’re not immune to the fast pace of human activity. This fast-moving boat caught my attention as it approached. It was headed in the same direction that I had been filming the shark just minutes earlier.”

With all the space in the vast ocean, somehow, the boat collided with the shark. Wrong place, wrong time. Nearly one in a million. And the shark suffered for it.

“A white gash cut across its body,” Gauna continues. “A faint trail of blood spilled behind it. In that moment, the uncertainty turned into a reality. This shark had been struck. As it rose towards the surface, the injury became more visible. We get a rare, and closeup look, at the injury. This may be the first time a white shark injury has been observed and documented in the exact moment of impact.”

Was the shark going to be okay? Looked pretty severe.

It kept swimming, but who knows. Gauna speculates:

“So, what’re the chances of this shark surviving a long life? It’s hard to say. But one thing is certain: the shark that was peacefully cruising just minutes earlier, will likely face a different reality in the days and weeks ahead.”