(water splashing) - [Mark] I am no
stranger to risk. I have come face to
face and hand to claw with some of the most ferocious and notorious animals
on the planet. (lion huffing) But this one was so much more. An activity like this
is not risk free. (tense music) (inspiring music) My name is Mark Vins for over five years, 500 videos. - [Cameraman] You all right man? - And over a million miles
traveled around the globe, I have been here with
you on "Brave Wilderness" and through those thousands
upon thousands of hours off trail with my two best
friends, I have witnessed some of the most amazing
spectacles imaginable. Oh wow. (water splashing) I have stood amongst the
shadows of mountains, of forests, of a cowboy hat. Of some of the worlds
deadliest creatures and most often the
shadow of my own camera. Then last year, I
decided to step out and take my place in
front of the lens, to pursue, my lifelong
dream of ocean exploration. And since that day, there's been a singular
entity, an enigma, that has drawn me back
to the blue wilderness. But before I was to
meet this creature, epic lore and mystery, I had to first pass a series
of tests to prepare myself. There were tiger
sharks, hammerheads and deep water dives, and not simply for
any certification but to prove to myself,
to know that I was ready. Ready to meet my fate
beneath the waves. Ready to come face to face
with the great white shark. There it is, that's our ship. Today is the day, we
are here in Mexico about to go on our first ever
great white shark adventure. Actually, I take that back, this is our second attempt. The first attempt
didn't go as planned in the Farallon Islands but I've got a feeling, this one's gonna be a
whole lot different. (tense music) Upon leaving shore, I could feel the hair on the
back of my neck stand up. Would this be a gateway to the
next phase of my adventures? Or would this be my last. I am no stranger to risk. (bear roars) I have come face to
face and hand to claw with some of the most ferocious and notorious animals
on the planet. (lion roaring) But this one was so much more. Inevitable, intentional,
imperative to my quest as an explorer. Welcome to Guadalupe, a
remote volcanic island 175 nautical miles off the coast
of Mexico's Baja peninsula. This towering mountainous
expanse of prehistoric earth will serve as a backdrop to
my greatest adventure to date. We made it. Because if there's
one place on Earth to find the world's largest
predatory shark, this is it. What's cool about Guadalupe
is it's kinda like the sister to the Farallon Islands
that we filmed at before. Unfortunately we didn't see
any sharks in the Farallon's but down here, the sharks come in
because of the seals. They have three
different species of pinniped here in Guadalupe, they've got their endemic
fur seal population, they've got California sea lions and then of course they have
northern elephant seals. All of which are on the menu
for the great white shark and the place we
are at right now is known as the kill zone. This is the space between
the feeding grounds where the seals need
to hunt their food and the shore where they
rest during the day. And as you can imagine,
in that space in between, is the great white
shark's favorite buffet. But our goal isn't to
see seals getting eaten while we're out here, our goal is to get
under the water in the realm of the
great white shark so we can get the cameras
up close and personal with one of the world's
top marine predators. Our home in this mystical place will be none other
than the Socorro Vortex of the Pelagic fleet. This ship and its crew
have been making the voyage to Guadalupe for years. And have been assisting in
shark research and conservation all along the way. - The very first step to
trying to protect sharks is to get in the
water with them. Once you're in the way with them it's a complete different
perspective you get forever. - So one of the biggest
differences between what we tried to do in
the Farallon Islands and what we're doing out
here in Guadalupe, is this. We actually get to use
attractant, aka bait, to draw in the sharks
close to the cages and therefore up
close to the cameras. All right guys, I think
it's time to get suited up because it's about to be our
town to get in the water. As I began to suit
up, reality sunk in. I do need to say, this is the point where
nerves start to kick in and it's not because I'm scared, it's not out of fear, it's healthy because
an activity like this is not risk free. Even though we're with one of
the best crews in the world when it comes to diving in
cages with great white sharks, we still have to have
our wits about us. Anything can happen, we're talking a ton plus animal that can be ferocious
in a moments notice. And they can literally
rip these cages apart. In fact, one of my
friends caught footage of a shark entering a shark cage and they had to pop the top where the divers are
supposed to come out to release the shark,
not the divers. So, we definitely have
to keep our eyes pealed, be aware at all times, watch each other's backs
when we're in the cages, because literally,
anything can happen. Just because there's
bars in front of us, that's not any sign
for complacency when you're in the water with
an animal that formidable. (intense music) The few steps between the
deck and the shark cage created a bridge to the
world of the great white. My heart began to race but this time, the nerves
I felt were more distinct. This was an adrenalin rush from the excitement
of a life's dream nearing closer with
each and every step. My moment had finally arrived. Here we go! (water splashing) (bubbles burbling) As I entered the
cool 65 degree water, my eyes began to adjust and I became aware of
the endless blue void that lurked below. The sunlight danced through
the 12,000 feet of water surrounding the
landscape of the island. And there was no
bottom in sight. Meaning the sharks
could be anywhere and come from any direction. Looking around, scanning
for our first shark, I was in awe of the
clarity of the water and the abundance
of fish in the area. Our main challenge at this point was getting properly positioned. The strong currents threw us
around the cages like rag dolls so to keep the cameras steady and our bodies from
bouncing off the walls, we fixed our feet to the railing and held tightly
with our free hands. Watching from below the surface I could see the occasional
splash from above as the crew tossed bait
lines into the water. Knowing full well that each
attempt could be the line to draw the apex
predators from below. We waited, patiently scanning
the blue abyss for any shadows or signs of movement. Minutes seemed like hours but then, without much
warning, it happened. From the distance, a dark
shape began to appear. It crept toward us slowly and then suddenly, it
was right in front of us. (tense music) Wow, I couldn't believe my eyes. What I'd been witnessing
for years on Shark Week was right in front of my lens. Finally, I was in the presence
of a great white shark. It thrashed towards
the bait and missed. But after a quick lap around
our cage, it disappeared again. As fast as the giant flashed
into view, it was gone. But this was proof, a victory, we were going to be
seeing sharks today. And hopefully, lots of them. On average, great white sharks
will have up to 300 teeth in their mouths
at any given time. And these teeth are
arranged in up to seven rows with the first two known
as the working teeth. (tense music) As you can see by our footage, their attacks are
calculated and precise. The torpedo shape of their body allows the great white to
accelerate up to speeds of, get this, 35 miles an hour, and strike with
the force of 29Gs. So forget about the
bite for a second, the impact alone is enough
to kill prey all by itself. As I calmly observe
the frenzy of sharks surrounding the cage, I am reminded that
I'm in their world. (intense music) Not only am I observing
them, they are observing me. Witnessing a strange
visitor in a metal cage they would come closer
and closer with each pass for a better look. And locking eyes with
the great white shark is something that I'll never
forget as long as I live. (water bubbling) As my time in the
cage came to a close, I couldn't help but
keep my camera rolling. We had seen many
impressive sharks today. But I just had this
feeling that something big was about to happen. When suddenly, a
giant silhouette charged from straight beneath and with its sights
locked on the prize, it launched at full kill speed. And pow, I could not believe it. It's rare to see
from the surface, let alone from underwater but what we had just
witnessed was a full breach. Behold the full fury of
the great white shark. (water bubbling) (intense music) Now feeling extremely
happy with our footage and after hours underwater, it was finally time to return
to the safety of the boat. (water splashing) Woo, oh my goodness. What an epic great white
shark adventure that was. For our very first one, I don't think we could
have asked for any more. The surface cages
did not disappoint, we had all kinds of action, we had encounters
right at the cage, we had bites at the bait,
we had surface breaches. Huge thanks for the
Socorro Vortex crew for helping us out and keeping
us safe on today's adventure. Don't forget to subscribe and
hit that notification bell, so you don't miss a second
of the action ahead, I'm Mark Vins, be
brave, stay wild. We'll see you on the next dive. (water splashing) It's no surprise that these
sharks are referred to as great. They are truly a perfected
product of evolution. And largely differ from
any of the previous sharks we've encountered on
"Blue Wilderness." Great whites are
intelligent creatures, highly inquisitive by nature and as we clearly
witnessed today, master hunters of the deep. We'd like to give an
extra special thank you to the captain and crew
of the Socorro Vortex. To learn more about the ways
you can visit Guadalupe, or to support
shark conservation, please visit their website at www.vortexliveaboard.com and stay tuned, if you thought this
episode was intense, just wait until our next dive. This time, we'll take you
in great white territory in an experimental
shark cage submarine. Get ready brave crew, we're
about to take you even closer to the world's most
famous set of jaws. (animals howling)
