Unnerving video taken in the coastal waters near Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base in Southern California of a great white shark swimming beneath the surface between a group of paddle boarders. This encounter occurred less than 100 yards from the shoreline and serves as reminder that waters off Camp Pendleton are known as an active nursery juvenile great white sharks where they feed on stingrays and other small fish during warm water periods.
Shark attacks in California are extremely rare. Since 1950, there have been 215 shark incidents in California involving all species of sharks (188Â of which involved white sharks). 16 attacks were fatal and all of the fatalities likely involved white sharks. It should be noted that human beach use and ocean activities have greatly increased during that time span while shark incidents have not increased proportionally.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife Shark Safety Guidelines:
There is only one guaranteed method for avoiding a shark interaction: stay out of the ocean. While most white shark incidents have occurred at the surface, there have also been incidents between sharks and divers underwater. Scientists agree that most white shark incidents with humans are not predatory attempts, but rather the result of exploratory bites from sharks investigating unusual objects in their environment, such as kayaks. The other cause is believed to be sharks mistaking a person for their usual prey – a seal or sea lion. Juvenile sharks, which can be as long as 10 feet, sometimes charge and “bump” larger objects, potentially as a learning exercise as they begin to transition to larger marine mammal prey. Swimming in areas where sharks have been observed or where white sharks have been seen feeding is not recommended.
While the dangers of sharks in Californian waters might not ever be fully mitigated but programs like California State University Long Beach’s CA Shark Beach Safety Program are engaged in in scientific research on the growing white shark population to increase knowledge, improve public understanding and reduce public safety risks.Â
The Shark Beach Safety Program 3 Major Initiatives:
- Scientific research – to advance our knowledge of white shark biology, behavior, and ecology off the California coast.
- Education – to provide a science-based curriculum about sharks to water safety personnel, fishers, and K-12 students.
- Public outreach – to provide science-based information about white sharks and beach safety to the general public (residents and visitors).
