Not since Jaws has shark hysteria surged like last year in Southern California.
But instead of a lone-wolf, animatronic behemoth inciting fear from the silver screen, last year saw packs of juvenile great whites stalking the shallow waters from Santa Cruz to San Diego. The shark activity was so heavy that leading shark researcher, Dr. Chris Lowe of Cal State Long Beach’s Shark Lab, called it, “the sharkiest summer that we’ve seen.”
And now, as the waters start to warm and the juvenile great whites return from their annual migration down to Baja, the sightings have begun. Although questions remain – Where will the shark hotspots be this season? Will the numbers be comparable to last year? Are we safe?
So, in anticipation of sharing the lineup with our grey-suited friends, we felt it was time for a refresher on things to keep in mind during this year’s shark season in Southern California.
FROM BAJA TO SOCAL
White sharks are unique in nature for many reasons – they’ve been around for 16 million years, females can grow to 20 feet long, they’re considered the quintessential ocean predator – but perhaps most remarkable, is that their species can be found in every ocean worldwide. Pacific Ocean great whites, however, stick to a fairly well-documented migratory pattern.
Most of the sharks off the Southern California coast are of a particular age and size – pups and juveniles, ranging from 6-to-10-feet in length. That demographic enjoys California’s coastal waters in the warmer months because of an abundance of easy-to-catch food (stingrays, fish) and water temperature. For the first few years, they migrate between Baja and Southern California before they’re big enough to hunt marine mammals (seals) and venture into colder waters (north of Point Conception, Farallon Islands, etc.).
“When we get our first winter storms, that’s when we start to see the migration south,” Dr. Lowe told Surfline. “Once they’re over eight feet, the water temperature is a little less impactful. It doesn’t drive them as much as food at that point. By the time they’re three years old, they’ve made multiple migrations between Southern California and Mexico. At about 10 feet, they start trying to catch marine mammals – off Channel Islands and Guadalupe – although they’re still pretty bad at it.”
SO, WHY SOCAL?
As Dr. Lowe mentioned above, the juvenile white shark population is partial to very specific conditions. Generally speaking, they like warmer water than their elder counterparts, and a steady supply of easy-to-catch food. And Southern California in the summertime fits the bill perfectly.
“The areas are not that unusual,” Dr. Lowe said about the popular great white haunts observed in 2017. “We’ve identified hotspots through historic fishing records and all the tags we’ve placed fall into those areas. Back in 2008 to 2011, Will Rogers Beach off the Palisades was the hotspot. In 2011 to 2014, it was Manhattan Beach.”
And last year, the standalone hotspot was Capo Beach, just south of the longboarder lineup at Doheny State Beach. Although throughout the season, sharks were spotted all over; one day in May, in particular, there were 27 sharks spotted up and down the coast – 15 at Capo Beach, 10 just north of Seal Beach, one on the southside of Huntington Beach Pier, and one at Church Beach near San Onofre.
It’s too early in the season to say where the hotspots will be this year, however, there’s already been sightings from San Onofre to Ventura, and of course, their favorite haunt from last year, Capo Beach.
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
Everyone knows there’s sharks in the ocean. There’s also giant squids, electric eels, and poisonous sea snakes – but nobody’s nearly as concerned with them, as they are with sharks.
But why?
Well, there’s two obvious reasons: 1) great white sharks are ruthless predators, hunting anything they can get their serrated teeth on, and 2) the juveniles, in particular, have been known to mingle in popular swimming areas. The near-shore waters are like a buffet for the young sharks, versus the vast open ocean. And because they’re hanging out so close to shore, they wind up brushing shoulders (and fins) with surfers and swimmers.
In response to last year’s unprecedented amount of sightings in Southern California, shark attack researcher Ralph Collier told Surfline: “The sharks are juvenile and neonate white sharks. They are close inshore because of all the halibut, rays, and baitfish that have assembled in those areas. Not unusual for this to occur. Just predators feeding on their natural prey. Unfortunately, the areas are the same ones we use for our ocean water activity.”
WHY SO MANY?
Another main concern with the recent influx of great whites in Southern California is the sheer volume. Some salty old surfers might wax nostalgically about less sightings back in my day, and they might not be completely wrong; although, the sharks have always been there, long before surfers have.
The uptick in population can most likely be attributed to one major factor: conservation. Before 1994, fishermen could catch a great white shark off California, kill it, and nobody would bat an eye. But now, the same catch could result in a $10,000 fine. And 24 years later, great white shark populations are returning to normal, if not inflated, numbers.
“It’s taken this long to finally start seeing the results of protection, [but] they’ve finally reached a tipping point,” Dr. Michael Domeier, president of the Marine Conservation Science Institute (MCSI), told Surfline. “This is not a fluke. It’s our new reality. And we just have to get used to it.”
FRIEND OR FOE?
Although the juveniles, which hang out in popular surfing and swimming zones, are less threatening than full-grown, garbage-disposal adult great whites, they can still be dangerous. Case and point: Leeanne Ericson, who was attacked by a 9-to-11-foot great white shark while swimming at Church Beach near San Onofre in April of last year.
Shark attack survivor, Leeanne Ericson, and her ripped wetsuit from the day she cheated death. Photo: Billy Watts
Shark attack survivor, Leeanne Ericson, and her ripped wetsuit from the day she cheated death. Photo: Billy Watts
Attacks on surfers and swimmers from great whites are rare, to say the least, but Ericson’s near-death experience was a terrifying reminder that it can happen to anyone. And with an increase in the population, the likelihood of an attack only escalates, too.
“The vast majority of those sharks are too small to bother anybody,” Dr. Domeier told Surfline. “But as the juveniles reach sub-adulthood — that in-between phase — yeah, they’ll be able to do some damage.”
The chances of a shark attack have become something folkloric, passed down for generations and slightly altered along the way – from, “you have a better chance of being struck by lightning,” to Laird Hamilton’s claim, “that soda machines kill more people every year than sharks.” The truth probably lies somewhere in between. But according to the International Shark Attack File, you’re more likely to be injured by a toilet than a shark. So, there’s that to ponder.
“Statistically, the chances are so slim,” Dr. Domeier said. “[But] there are going to be more incidents in California. That’s the reality. People have to get used to that.”