Last Wednesday, a drone pilot spotted a shark slowly circling a lone surfer off Seascape Beach in Aptos and used his aircraft as an airborne warning system. The surfer paddled safely back to shore without injury.
Drone operator Nick Bertocchini says he posted the video to his Instagram account and cranked up the drone’s motors to get the surfer’s attention. He told NBC10 the close encounter unfolded that morning and that he tried to steer the rider’s gaze toward the threat. The short clip quickly circulated online.
The footage was captured near Seascape Beach and, according to KSBW, appears to have been filmed around 8:45 AM. The outlet identifies the surfer only as “Rex,” who told reporters he grew up surfing locally and has noticed more sharks in the area in recent years. KSBW reports that Rex ultimately chose to get out of the water after the shark’s repeated passes.
Drone Pilot Says Warning Did the Trick
Bertocchini told reporters he slid the drone to the side of the shark and deliberately boosted the prop noise to make the surfer look up, writing that this one stood out because it appeared more investigative than the average encounter, per KSBW. He said he was relieved to see both the surfer and the shark peel away without any contact.
Officials Say Shark Bites Remain Rare
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife notes that shark sightings along the state’s coastline are not unusual, while actual incidents in which sharks bite people remain extremely rare. For background and safety tips, the agency maintains a white shark information page at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Spring Brings Flurry of Drone Shark Sightings
The Aptos footage is one of several drone-shot shark encounters reported this spring, from Pismo Beach to Santa Barbara. Researchers have pointed to warmer water and recovering seal populations as factors that can boost nearshore shark activity. Coverage of a May encounter at Pismo Beach quotes Dr. Chris Lowe of the CSULB Shark Lab saying the region could be in for a particularly “sharky” season, according to The Weather Channel.
Local lifeguards and beach officials continue to stress the basics: avoid surfing at dawn and dusk, paddle out with others, and report unusual shark activity to lifeguards. Some drone pilots say their cameras can offer an early heads-up for people in the lineup. For now, Aptos beachgoers can at least take some comfort that in this case, the surfer made it back to shore and the encounter ended without injury.
