Santa Barbara County, California — What started as a Father’s Day adventure to spot a shark turned into an unforgettable wildlife encounter for a Colorado teenager after drone footage revealed a great white shark swimming just feet from her paddleboard.
Although she entered the water hoping to catch a glimpse of one of her favorite animals, Kayla Ross had no idea the shark was already nearby until she reviewed the footage after returning to shore.
The remarkable encounter has since captured attention, offering another reminder of how frequently sharks share the ocean with swimmers and paddleboarders without being noticed.
Drone Captures Shark Swimming Beside Paddleboard
Ross, who was visiting California from Aurora, Colorado, spent Father’s Day with family in Santa Barbara County.
Before lunch, her uncle, Robert Kagan, flew a drone over the coastline and spotted what appeared to be a great white shark swimming offshore.
After their meal, the pair rented a stand-up paddleboard and headed into the water, hoping the drone would help guide them toward the shark.
However, murky water prevented them from seeing anything beneath the surface.
“The water was too murky for us to see the sharks, so we didn’t know if it was there or not,” Ross said.
Drone footage later showed the shark swimming close to the paddleboard and, at several points, appearing to follow the pair as they moved through the water.
Teen Never Realized How Close the Shark Was
While Ross focused on paddling, she never saw the animal beneath her.
Her uncle briefly noticed movement below the surface and quickly decided it was time to head back.
“We’d paddled pretty far out because we went to the drone, and then he said that he saw something and that we had to head back to shore right now,” Ross recalled.
“I didn’t see it because I was just looking forward paddling.”
Only after reviewing the drone footage did they fully understand how close the great white shark had come during the outing.
Fortunately, the shark remained calm and never behaved aggressively.
Shark Fan Calls Experience ‘Super Awesome’
Rather than being frightened by the encounter, Ross said she was thrilled by the experience.
A self-described shark enthusiast, she said seeing one in the wild had always been something she hoped would happen.
“I really love sharks. They’re my favorite animal.”
After watching the footage, she described the experience as unforgettable.
“It was really cool,” Ross said. “It’s super awesome to me that I got that close to a shark.”
She even joked that she would gladly repeat the experience.
“I would totally do it again. Maybe a bigger shark next time.”
Neither Ross nor her uncle suffered any injuries during the outing.
Great White Sightings Are Common Along Southern California Coast
Marine experts say encounters like this are more common than many people realize.
Great white sharks regularly inhabit Southern California waters, particularly during the warmer months when juvenile sharks gather in shallow coastal areas.
Researchers have long noted that surfers, swimmers, kayakers, and paddleboarders often share the water with sharks without ever noticing them.
In most cases, the animals quietly swim nearby before continuing on without interacting with people.
The Santa Barbara encounter serves as another example of how drone technology is helping reveal marine wildlife activity that often goes unseen from the surface.
For Ross, what could have been an alarming discovery instead became the wildlife experience of a lifetime—one she says she would happily repeat.
Have you ever experienced an unexpected wildlife encounter while visiting the beach or out on the water? Share your story and thoughts respectfully in the comments below.