The Great White
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" My first impression is one of respect and humility; nature has created something magnificent that we must all take care of. Our ideas would not be the same without having witnessed its beauty firsthand. "
Alonso I. RodrÃguez de la Parra, explorer and documentary filmmaker.
Guadalupe Island - Alonso I. RodrÃguez de la Parra
The vast Pacific Ocean is traversed by countless explorers. Its immense size, diverse temperatures, and enormous depths captivate those seeking to encounter something never before seen. Much of the explorer's ego lies in experiencing something new, something no one has ever experienced before. It's not even about experiencing something for the first time, but about experiencing it before others. I find this attitude somewhat absurd. I've always believed that the things one discovers, creates, or invents should, in some way, contribute to society, to the common good of many, or even just a few. But wanting to experience something simply to be the only one who has experienced it seems like a waste. That's partly why I'm writing: to share a little of what I've been able to witness, whether by luck or through a poorly planned and unfortunate event that unfolded exactly as it should have.
It's impossible not to think about how small you are when sailing on the vast ocean, how vulnerable you are. Any ship, no matter how large, is fragile when compared to the seemingly endless blue of Kai (the Hawaiian name for the sea). In this enormous tumult of waves and tides, a thousand things come to mind. Those legends about snakes or ocean beasts no longer sound so far-fetched. I still don't believe we know everything. I still believe there are animals larger than we've seen, that what we know is very little, and what we haven't seen is because it can see us long before we even sense anything nearby.
Ready for the descent - Alonso I. RodrÃguez de la Parra
I'm heading to an island in the Pacific known as Guadalupe Island, a piece of land that rises from the water with an area of approximately 253 km², a place whose appearance evokes the very creature for which it is famous. A creature that hasn't been fully understood, that those who know it love with madness and passion, but those who don't know it fear completely; a creature that, from what one hears daily, sounds more like a legend because, if we try to compare what is said about it with reality, I dare say that the common words that mention this creature remain a legend or a myth; the truth about this species is much further removed from what Hollywood movies have told us.
Judging without knowing, the true shield of all cowards... How easy it is to distort the truth to make a sale, to tell a manipulated story to make it more interesting. Although, I'm not saying adding cream to tacos doesn't make them tastier, there are stories that can never be described with words, images, or videos. The truth is more impactful, and I'll fall short of words trying to convey the exact feeling that my skin and nerves experienced.
In the open submarine - Alonso I. RodrÃguez de la Parra
This expedition wasn't like any other; it wasn't your typical tourist visit to these islands. We went with a much greater purpose, with a permit issued by SEMARNAT (the Mexican Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources) to conduct research and documentation. While it wasn't entirely successful in terms of its objectives, it was very successful in terms of everything that transpired. On board the boat was a large team of documentary filmmakers, among whom Jorge Cervera and Erick Higuera were the most outstanding. I was impressed by the kind of images they captured, and they were undoubtedly a great inspiration, a motivation to want to improve every day with my instrument: the camera. Being surrounded by such talented and passionate people was already an enormous gift from life, and, filled with kindness and gratitude, life decided to give me even more surprises on this expedition.
On the boat, we had two floating cages to observe the wildlife from a safe location, a submersible cage to observe them from the depths, an open submarine to go even deeper and observe their behavior at different depths, freediving equipment, scuba tanks, and many, many cameras. All this equipment was going to help us document this material to deliver to government authorities, create multimedia content to better understand this species, and look for evidence of a small shark called the cookiecutter, which bites the pinnipeds that inhabit Guadalupe Island.
Great white sharks - Alonso I. RodrÃguez de la Parra
The creature that captures the attention of every visitor to this place, and which I haven't yet mentioned, is the Great White Shark. You've probably already guessed it, but I had to mention it at some point. Feared by most, loved by the few who know it, and shrouded in mystery for all.
Upon arriving on the island, one can sense a shift in the energy of this place. Everything seems to be in a state of perpetual mystery. Rocks in varying shades of red rise sharply from the water, their jagged peaks forming a stark topography that resembles a rampart. This rampart encloses a beautiful, vibrant forest on the upper plain, teeming with endemic species, and a lap of clouds that ride the wind currents and thermals generated by the island's own heat. Undoubtedly, this island is a vast entity encompassing countless energies and species that, as I mentioned before, would not exist without one another. Guadalupe is not the island itself; it is all the species—plants, animals, and even the rocks themselves—all are one. The island is not whole without them, and they are not whole without the island.
sharks and wolf of Guadalupe - Alonso I. RodrÃguez de la Parra
The first encounter with this titan was from the floating cage, a cube of metal bars that felt even colder in the icy water; crystal-clear water that created a submerged horizon of impeccable deep blue. Rays of light pierced through and, with the same mystery that the island evoked, disappeared into the depths of the ocean, amidst the immensity of the blue and my eyes. Only these bars separated me from the greatest fear of almost everyone who goes swimming in the sea. The creature that most captivated us on this trip: the Great White.
From the vastness of the blue, a small fish appears in the distance, small at first glance, but the closer it gets and the more it swims toward the cage, the more its size begins to unfold; a titan of strength, much larger than I imagined, armed with thousands of teeth that give me goosebumps just looking at them, a unique gray color that, reflected in the water, takes on a very singular hue, and beneath this animal, a white, so white it seems not to be part of its own body, milky white. My first impression is one of respect and humility; nature has created something magnificent that we must all take care of. Our ideas would not be the same without having witnessed its beauty firsthand.
YING YANG - Alonso I. RodrÃguez de la Parra
We hadn't even been in the water for 10 minutes when, suddenly, we were surrounded by countless sharks; we could easily see more than seven swimming simultaneously within our field of vision, and over 50 different sharks that we were able to identify using the photos and other footage we obtained. A paradise for these creatures. The great white shark's Eden in Mexico.
After appreciating their beauty, something disturbed my peace; many of these giants carried hooks and long fishing lines that rippled with the current they created, enormous strands of thread and netting clinging to their skin and slowly becoming entangled with other sharks or their bodies more and more; a rather sad sight. How is it that in a place so far removed from civilization, so magically natural, our footprint is undeniable? Just as in the vastness of the ocean our presence is undeniable, the impact we have on this world is absurd. We don't even know a quarter of the ocean's immensity, but I could assure you that anywhere we explore, there will be traces of humans who have never seen, touched, or even imagined their existence.
Three Great White Sharks - Alonso I. RodrÃguez de la Parra
There's a shark that makes us all turn around with sadness, a shark that swims much slower than the others, a shark in grave danger. A fishing net or a rope is wrapped around its head, cutting into its skin and slowly suffocating it. It looks much thinner than the other sharks. Seeing this enormous predator so vulnerable to a simple fishing line makes me see it differently. The one I thought invincible, now subdued by such a simple device, makes me feel sad, sad for our own species that in a moment of carelessness, something as insignificant as a thread can destroy so much beauty and perfection that the universe has created.
I don't believe humans are inherently cruel. Of course, we can be, and many are, but I see us more as the only species that truly developed the capacity for stupidity. We talk about intelligence and ego, but with all that "intelligence," we've committed the most idiotic atrocities and barbarities in the world. We are Homo sapiens because we developed the capacity for stupidity, since truly intelligent people are few and far between. There are more of us who are careless, who strive for survival, and who follow the herd than those who can truly be called "intelligent."
White shark entangled - Alonso I. RodrÃguez de la Parra
Upon witnessing this, we all agreed, we had to leave the cages and help this defenseless giant predator, what an irony, right?
Thinking about this filled me with terror, but we wouldn't be the first to swim with this giant outside of its cages. If you investigate further and try to learn the truth about this animal, instead of just relying on rumors, you'll see that it has very little interest in humans and would hardly ever attack one. I'm not saying or recommending that you want to swim with it, because any interaction with a wild animal requires thorough study. Knowing what to do and what not to do in the water is essential, and understanding its behavior is fundamental. With this understanding, we would enter the water to try to help it.
We left the cages, and while we waited for this shark to return, we were on high alert, watching our backs and following a protocol that few would understand. Upon seeing a shark approach, we had to take a deep breath and begin to descend in apnea, heading straight for it. The sharks continued swimming directly toward you; it was as if you were suddenly face to face with this giant. We both stared intently at each other, and when we were less than a meter apart, face to face, the shark would gently turn to one side, still watching us but just as cautious as we were. In this way, I was able to understand this animal better. It fulfills its role in the ecosystem; humans are not part of its diet, and it will act on instinct. The moment you break that pattern, the instinct disappears. What would have been a predator is now just another animal sharing the space with you. You cease to be prey and become another being in the ocean. Experiencing this firsthand makes you see the sea in a completely different light. The fear of the unknown disappears, and you realize that things happen according to your actions. Swimming alongside a massive great white shark is the experience that truly ignited my interest in exploring the ocean and my desire to do everything possible within my own reality to protect it.
And so we spent a couple of hours, trying to approach the shark that was in danger while other curious onlookers approached in groups of three to observe us. The feeling was always one of alert, but there came a moment when peace flooded my feelings, and being there in confidence surrounded by great white sharks, with the certainty that they were not going to harm us, was the most beautiful gift of life.
Entangled white shark - Alonso I. RodrÃguez de la Parra
Finally, the moment arrived. The shark we wanted to rescue approached slowly. Outside the cage, I could see its agony was much greater; the suffering was evident in its eyes, and its slow swimming filled me with sadness. One of the divers I was with cautiously approached the shark, took out his knife, and grasped the rope encircling its head, which was already deeply embedded in its skin and looked painful. He brought his knife close and managed to cut the line that bound it. At that moment, I could see the shark feel some relief. Although we don't know for sure if it was able to completely free itself from the rope, we do know that we were able to cut it to prevent it from continuing to suffocate as it grew. I truly hope this shark is alive, and that all the other sharks we saw with lines and hooks are alive too.
As we emerged from the water, that joy returned to everyone's eyes. We knew we hadn't saved the ocean, but that the shark was going to be okay. This little story had filled us with energy to continue the mission and could possibly inspire others to do the same.
The main objective of this expedition wasn't entirely complete, as we still needed to get into the water with the tanks to observe the elephant seals and sea lions of this island. It was no walk in the park; it was one of the most exciting and terrifying experiences at the same time, an experience I won't fully describe in this blog, but which you'll undoubtedly be able to read about in the future or see in a great great white shark documentary. We returned home from this expedition with over 15 TB of video footage, hundreds of photos, and a great story I'm eager to share with you.
Great white shark released - Alonso I. RodrÃguez de la Parra
What I can tell you is that thanks to my camera and photographs, I've been able to introduce this enormous predator to thousands of people. I've presented my exhibit on the great white shark to thousands of families and inspired children and adults to investigate further, fear less, and not judge by what they hear or first impressions. We may not have fully achieved the scientific objective of this expedition, but this material has helped many researchers, scientists, government officials, and individuals to undertake more effective conservation efforts, understand this species better, and hear a different story than the one everyone else hears.
Materials post - Alonso I. RodrÃguez de la Parra
Environmental education about the great white - Alonso I. RodrÃguez de la Parra
In blue with white - Alonso I. RodrÃguez de la Parra
Sharing the space - Jorge Cervera
My first impression is one of respect and humility; nature has created something magnificent that we must all take care of. Our ideas wouldn't be the same without having witnessed its beauty firsthand.
Alonso I. RodrÃguez de la Parra