The west coast of North America is bracing for a surge in great white shark numbers, as the El Niño climate pattern continues to reshape marine life patterns. In California, coastal waters are experiencing one of their highest great white populations in a decade, with young sharks migrating north from increasingly warm Mexican waters.
According to Dr Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at California State University Long Beach (CSULB), this influx is largely due to the strong El Niño conditions. His team has been tracking juvenile great whites for two decades and noted an unusual timing in their arrival – baby white sharks were spotted as early as February this year, a full two months earlier than usual.
Dr Lowe attributes this to previous El Niño events, such as the 2015 marine heatwave known as the 'Blob', which similarly pushed sharks north due to warming Mexican waters. He anticipates that other subtropical species will follow warmer currents into California's coast, potentially displacing some of the usual populations of squid, anchovies, and sardines.
In response to the anticipated increase in shark presence, Californian wildlife officials have already taken proactive measures. The state's Department of Fish and Wildlife implemented emergency regulations last month, prohibiting specific fishing gear on beaches and piers to minimise accidental hooking of white sharks – a fully protected species in California.
While sharing beaches with more sharks might seem concerning, incidents involving humans remain rare. Young sharks typically spend much time closer to shore, migrating between areas rich in food and posing minimal threat to humans. The majority of sharks observed are juveniles, between 6ft and 9ft in length, which feed on stingrays, fish, and squid in shallower waters.