04. Guadalupe Island
- Alonso Rodriguez
- 7 days ago
- 8 min read
Alonso I. Rodríguez de la Parra - Explorer & Filmmaker
The Great White
"My first impression is one of respect and humility. Nature has created something extraordinary — something we are all responsible for protecting. Our understanding would not be the same without witnessing its beauty."
The vast Pacific Ocean has been explored by countless individuals. Its immensity, shifting temperatures, and immense depths make it a place that captivates those seeking to encounter something never seen before. Much of the ego of exploration lies in experiencing something new, not even in experiencing it for the first time, but in experiencing it before anyone else. I find that perspective somewhat absurd. I have always believed that the things we discover, create, or achieve should, in some way, contribute to society, to the greater good, or at least to a few others. Wanting to experience something solely for the sake of being the only one to do so feels wasted.
It is impossible not to feel small when navigating the immensity of the ocean. You realize how vulnerable you are. Any vessel, no matter how large, is fragile when compared to the seemingly endless blue of Kai, the Hawaiian word for sea. In this vast movement of waves and currents, countless thoughts arise. Legends of sea serpents and ocean beasts no longer seem so far-fetched. I do not believe we know everything, not even close. I still believe there are creatures larger than anything we have seen, and that what we have yet to encounter may simply be because they see us long before we sense their presence.
I was heading toward an island in the Pacific known as Guadalupe Island, a landmass rising from the ocean, with a surface of approximately 253 km². A place whose appearance mirrors the very creature for which it is famous. A creature that has not been fully understood, loved deeply by those who know it, yet feared entirely by those who do not. What we hear about it in everyday conversation often sounds like legend, but when compared to reality, even those descriptions fall short. The truth about this species is far removed from what Hollywood has led us to believe.
To judge without knowing, the true shield of the coward. How easy it is to distort the truth in order to sell something, to manipulate a story to make it more compelling. And while embellishment can make things more appealing, there are stories that can never be fully captured in words, images, or video. The truth is far more powerful. Even now, I know I will fall short in trying to convey what my skin and nerves felt in that moment.
This expedition was not like any other. It was not a typical tourist visit. We were there with a greater purpose, with a permit issued by SEMARNAT to conduct research and documentation. Although we did not fully achieve all of our scientific objectives, it was incredibly successful in everything else that unfolded. On board was a remarkable team of documentary filmmakers, including Jorge Cervera and Erick Higuera. I was deeply impressed by the images they captured, they became a constant source of inspiration and a motivation to improve every day with my own instrument, the camera. Being surrounded by such talented and passionate individuals was already a gift. And in that openness and gratitude, life seemed to offer even more throughout this expedition.
On the boat, we carried two floating cages, a submersible cage to observe from depth, an open submarine to explore even further, freediving gear, scuba tanks, and countless cameras. All of this equipment was meant to help us document, contribute material to authorities, create multimedia content to better understand this species, and search for evidence of a small shark known as the cookie cutter shark, which bites the pinnipeds that inhabit Guadalupe Island.
The creature that captures the attention of everyone who visits this place is the Great White Shark. Feared by most, loved by the few who understand it, and surrounded by mystery for all.
Upon arriving at the island, something shifts. Everything feels wrapped in a constant sense of mystery. The rocks, tinted in shades of red, rise sharply from the water, jagged and imposing. Towering cliffs form a kind of natural wall, protecting a plateau above filled with life, endemic species, and clouds that drift through the island’s thermal winds. Guadalupe is not just an island. It is everything that exists within it, plants, animals, even the rocks themselves. None exists without the other.
Sharks and Sea Lion — Alonso I. Rodríguez de la Parra
My first encounter with this titan happened from a floating cage. A metal cube whose bars felt even colder in the surrounding water. The ocean was crystal clear, stretching into a deep blue horizon below. Rays of light pierced the surface and faded into the unknown. Between that vast blue and my own gaze, only those metal bars stood between me and what many consider their greatest fear.
From the distance, a small shape appeared, almost like a fish at first. But as it approached, its true scale revealed itself. A massive being, powerful beyond anything I had imagined. Armed with rows of teeth that send a chill through my skin, its grey body reflecting light in a unique way, and beneath it, a white so pure it almost seems separate from its own form. My first impression was one of respect and humility. Nature has created something magnificent that we must all protect.
Within minutes, we were surrounded. More than seven sharks at once, and over fifty individuals identified throughout the expedition. A paradise for these misunderstood beings. But after witnessing their beauty, something disrupted that sense of peace. Many carried hooks, long fishing lines trailing behind them, nets entangled around their bodies. In a place so remote, so seemingly untouched, our presence was still undeniable.
There was one shark that made all of us pause. It moved slower than the others. It was in serious danger. A fishing line wrapped tightly around its head, cutting into its skin and slowly suffocating it. Seeing such a powerful predator rendered vulnerable by something so simple changed everything. It filled me with sadness, sadness for our own species, capable of causing so much damage through something so small.
I do not believe humans are inherently cruel. Many can be, yes. But more than anything, we are the only species that has developed the capacity to be careless. We speak of intelligence and pride, yet with that intelligence we have committed some of the most senseless acts imaginable.
At that moment, we all agreed we had to leave the cages and help. The thought was terrifying. But understanding changes everything. This is not an animal that seeks humans. It does not see us as prey. Any interaction with wildlife requires knowledge, awareness, and respect. We entered the water fully alert, following protocols few would understand.
We left the cages, and as we waited for the shark to return, we remained in a constant state of alert, watching our surroundings and following a protocol that few would understand. When a shark approached, we would take a deep breath and begin to descend in apnea toward it. The sharks would continue swimming directly toward you, and for a moment, it felt as if you were face to face with this giant. Both of us observing each other closely, and when we were less than a meter apart, the shark would gently turn to one side, always watching us, just as cautious as we were.
In this way, I began to understand this animal on a deeper level. It fulfills its role within the ecosystem. Humans are not part of its diet, and it acts based on instinct. The moment you break that pattern, the instinct disappears. What once seemed like a predator becomes simply another animal sharing the space with you. You stop being prey and become another being in the ocean. Experiencing this firsthand changes the way you see the sea completely. The fear of the unknown fades, and you begin to realize that what happens depends largely on your behavior. Swimming alongside a great white shark is the experience that truly sparked my desire to understand the ocean and to do everything within my reality to protect it.
And so we remained there for a couple of hours, trying to approach the shark that was in danger while others, curious, would come close in groups of two or three to observe us. The feeling was always one of alertness, but there came a moment when a sense of peace took over, and being there, surrounded by great white sharks with the certainty that they would not harm us, became one of the greatest gifts of my life.
Finally, the moment came. The shark we wanted to help approached slowly. Outside the cage, its agony was even more evident. You could see the suffering in its eyes. Its slow movement filled me with sadness. One of the divers I was with approached cautiously, pulled out his knife, and grabbed the line wrapped around the shark’s head, which was already deeply embedded in its skin. He carefully cut the line that was constricting it. In that instant, I could see that the shark felt some relief. Although we do not know if it was able to fully free itself from the remaining line, we know that we managed to cut it enough to prevent it from continuing to suffocate as it grew. I truly hope that this shark is still alive, and that all the others we saw carrying lines and hooks are as well.
When we came out of the water, that sense of joy returned to everyone’s eyes. We knew we had not saved the ocean, but that shark would be okay. This small story filled us with energy to continue the mission, and perhaps it could inspire others to do the same.
The main objective of the expedition was still not fully completed. We still had to enter the water with scuba tanks to observe the elephant seals and sea lions of the island. It was far from an easy experience; it was one of the most thrilling and terrifying moments at the same time. A story I will not fully tell here, but one that will undoubtedly be shared in the future, or seen in a larger documentary about the great white shark. From this expedition, we returned home with more than 15 terabytes of video material, hundreds of photographs, and a powerful story that I am eager to share.
What I can say is that through my camera and photographs, I have been able to bring this enormous predator closer to thousands of people. I have presented my exhibition on the great white shark to countless families, inspiring both children and adults to learn more, fear less, and avoid judging based on what they hear or on first impressions. Although we may not have fully achieved the scientific goals of this expedition, the material we gathered has helped researchers, scientists, authorities, and many others to strengthen conservation efforts, better understand this species, and hear a story different from the one most people are used to.
Photography by Alonso I. Rodríguez de la Parra and Jorge Cervera
My first impression remains one of respect and humility. Nature has created something magnificent that we must all protect. Our understanding would not be the same without having witnessed its beauty.
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