Sky Sharks: Shark Surveillance | SharkFest | National Geographic

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NARRATOR: Great whites grow up to 20 feet long and can pack over 5,000 pounds of muscle. [MUSIC PLAYING] Yet, despite their size, they often go unnoticed. A type of camouflage known as counter shading gives these sharks the predatory edge. They're dark on top, but pale underneath. So underwater, they blend into the background, whether seen from above or below. [MUSIC PLAYING]

But all that changes from the air.

ANDY: All right. Here we go, tethered drone taking off.

NARRATOR: From high in the sky, a shark's camouflage can't hide them, and their cover will be blown.

ANDY: Let's try to find some sharks here.

NARRATOR: The best view of what's below the surface comes from high above. Andy's drone scans from the sky. And while down at water level, it looks like every other day at the beach, the view from above—Woah, woah, right there.

NARRATOR: Reveals a very different story. A drone's eye view detects an unmistakable silhouette. Now you see it, now you don't.

ANDY: It's pretty incredible. There's sharks everywhere literally right under the boards of these people, right under their noses, and they don't even see it.

NARRATOR: Down at water level, glare and reflections can easily distract, hiding what looks obvious from high above. [MUSIC PLAYING]

ANDY: I got a lot of sharks in the area. This is incredible.

NARRATOR: It looks too close for comfort. But are people in danger? [MUSIC PLAYING] Despite Santa Barbara's increase in shark sightings, there hasn't been a fatal shark bite here in almost a decade, a stat that today's survey will help unpack. [MUSIC PLAYING]

ANDY: Synchronize watches. All right, great white stakeout, here we go. [MUSIC PLAYING] All right, and 3, 2, 1, here we go. [MUSIC PLAYING]