Why San Diego could have a sharkier summer this year
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Great white shark lurking. Photo: Courtesy of CSU Long Beach's Shark Lab
It's going to be a sharky summer.
Why it matters: Warmer water from El Niño is expected to push sharks north from Mexico, which means San Diego could see the return of great white sharks, plus hammerhead sharks, bull sharks and tiger sharks.
Flashback: There was a pack of young great white sharks mulling around Del Mar Beach and Torrey Pines from 2021 to 2024, but last summer they disappeared, Chris Lowe, head of CSU Long Beach's Shark Lab, tells Axios.
- Nobody knows why they left, but this summer they've been spotted back near our shores.
- They chill right outside the wave break, and there could eventually be up to 50 of them ranging in size from 4 to 9 feet long, Lowe said.
Threat level: Great white sharks aren't often interested in biting people, Lowe says.
- There were 29 unprovoked great white shark bites in California in the last 10 years, two of which were fatal, according to the International Shark Attack File.
Yes, but: The warmer water is attracting sharks that may be more likely to bite people, especially spear and kayak fishermen, Lowe says.
If you're spear fishing, don't keep fish on your belt, he says.
- If you're kayak fishing, you're likely draining bloody fish water into the ocean, "getting the sharks all jazzed up," he says.
- So don't rest your legs in the water.
The intrigue: Swimmers shouldn't have an issue with hammerheads because they don't often come near shore.
- "But bull sharks and tiger sharks are a whole different ballgame," Lowe says.
Lowe's tips: If you're swimming and see a shark, keep your eyes on it so the shark knows you're watching it.
- "If you lose sight of it, the first place you should look is behind you."
- And if a shark gets within arm's length, punch it in the nose. Yes, really.
The warm weather is also upping the population of leopard sharks at La Jolla Shores, Brent Fish, an aquarist at Birch Aquarium, tells Axios.
- These sharks are small and don't want to bite people, but still leave them alone.
- Most of them are pregnant moms.
The bottom line: Sharks are near San Diego beaches all the time, Lowe says. If lifeguards closed the water every time a shark was spotted, we'd never get to swim.