It’s gonna be a hot shark summer.
Great white sharks are expected to increase in number within Southern California’s waters this summer due to a particularly warm Pacific Ocean, an expert said.
Dr. Chris Lowe, a professor of marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at Cal State, Long Beach, says researchers saw a boom in baby white shark births in February, something which usually happens in April.
He says the births are due to a marine heat wave that started in December.
“White sharks are actually really good meteorologists,” Lowe told NBC San Diego.
Marine heatwaves occur when ocean temperatures are much warmer than usual for an extended period of time, according to NOAA. The current marine heat wave, NEP25A, set the record for the largest maximum area for a marine heatwave within the Northeast Pacific region analyzed at NOAA since 1982.
The agency had been tracking the heat wave since May 2025 and said it reached its maximum size in September.
Lowe said the increase in sharks poses a minimal risk to humans. His lab’s research shows sharks tend to ignore humans.
Nevertheless, a California man was seriously injured in March due to a shark attack.
The man sustained injuries to both legs while surfing near Big River Beach in Mendocino Headlands State Park on the evening of March 18, according to the California State Lifeguards.
He was later transported to a hospital in Fort Bragg for further treatment, and nearby beaches were closed for 48 hours after the incident.
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