A drone videographer caught a rarely witnessed scene - a great white shark defecating in open water.

Carlos Gauna, 45, spotted the large great white cruising calmly through blue-green water off Ventura County - before releasing a cloud of white particles.

"I have a whole collection of white sharks pooping," Gauna said. "It's not something you normally see in the press or media. "

"These natural behaviors rarely get attention, but I thought it'd be cool to show people what it actually looks like - that they're just like any other animal in the sea or on land."

"Once, I was in a cage when a white shark zoomed past me and filled the whole cage with this white cloud of poop."

"It's basically particles and matter that rocket out of them - sometimes quite dramatically, with shivers, tail shakes, and body movements."

"In this case, the shark didn't shiver much, it just let it go, but it's still something you don't see every day."

For researchers and enthusiasts alike, moments like these offer a candid glimpse into a predator's life usually hidden far below the surface.

The video was filmed in July.