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Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
What to do if you see a shark in the ocean
Duhhhh-nuh. Duhh-nuh. ... Friday marks 50 years since the 1975 film 'Jaws' from Steven Spielberg introduced audiences to that infamous John Williams movie score — and the fear that they should clearly feel over the great white shark lurking just beneath their feet, waiting to chomp down on their dangling legs as they enjoy a day at the beach. Except, over the past six decades, marine biologists like Chris Lowe at the Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach have found that great white sharks and their selachian counterparts not only don't want to eat humans but also would like to avoid us if at all possible. 'Believe it or not, a lot of the times they're big babies. They're big scaredy-cats,' Lowe told me. As part of the series I've completed over the last year in The Wild, exploring how to react should you see a potentially dangerous animal on the trail, I spoke to Lowe, who has studied sharks for the past 35 years, about how you should react if you see a great white shark in the wild. Lowe said that unlike 50 years ago when 'Jaws' was filmed — where sharks' populations were so low that even the 'Jaws' filmmakers could barely find a shark in the ocean to record — the great white shark population has bounced back thanks to conservation efforts. 'Sharks are probably swimming by people way more often than they would ever imagine — they just don't know they're there,' Lowe said. 'I think your chances of seeing a shark, any shark — a white shark, a leopard shark, a bull shark, a tiger shark, no matter where you go — is actually getting much better.' Please note that my conversation with Lowe focused on how a beachgoer should react if they see a great white shark off the coast of a Southern California beach, and I primarily asked him for tips for folks swimming or snorkeling. The Shark Lab has a great short guide for surfers, and there is other guidance available for spearfishers. All right, no need for a bigger boat. Let's dive in. You're swimming in the ocean, perhaps snorkeling, and you see a great white shark swimming about 20 feet from you. First, 'take a deep breath and go, 'Wow, that's so cool,'' Lowe said. Next, observe what the shark is doing. Is it relaxed? Has it spotted you yet? Lowe said that oftentimes, you will see a shark because the animal wanted you to or allowed you to see it. The majority of human-shark encounters in Southern California occur without the human ever knowing it happened. 'We see it all the time from our drones — they'll come up behind people, and in fact get what I would consider uncomfortably close to people, and then it's almost like [they think,] 'OK, that's not what I thought it was,' and then they just turn and take off,' he said. I asked what uncomfortably close means, thinking 15 feet, 10 feet. 'Three feet,' Lowe told me. 'Let the shark know you see it,' Lowe said. 'As the shark is swimming around you, you should pivot to always face the shark. That is part of this body communication that all animals use. If you're ever threatened, do you ever turn your back on the threat?' (No.) Move calmly and naturally as you float in the water. Do not throw anything at the shark or jerk around. Most often, this is where the encounter ends, Lowe said. If the shark doesn't feel threatened, you'll observe the shark until it leaves the vicinity, and then you can alert a lifeguard of what you saw. You might have (even accidentally) startled the shark by moving too quickly. When Lowe and his students go out into the ocean to tag sharks, they will pull up next to a shark and start recording it with a camera and taking other measurements. But if they startle it or if the shark feels threatened, the shark almost always loops around and tries to get behind the boat. It'll do the same if you scare it. People mistake this as the shark stalking them. 'Actually, no,' Lowe said. 'That's how it's investigating you safely. People forget these animals are just as much worried about their safety as we are [worried about ours].' If a shark feels threatened, it will arch its back and drop its fins and start an exaggerated slow-motion swimming behavior, Lowe said. 'They will open their mouths, they'll bear their teeth,' similar to an angry cat, he said. You should, if you haven't already, start to back away slowly from the shark, maintaining eye contact. Unlike the movies when people thrash out of the water, you want to backpedal at a normal speed. Remember, this animal is likely scared too. Do not move toward the shark. 'If you chase that shark, if you pursue it, it will break out of that behavior, and it will rush in and bite. And then it will take off,' Lowe said. 'That's a defensive response.' Hopefully your encounter has ended by now, as this next tip is for exceedingly rare instances when a shark is getting in your space. If you've been backing away from the shark, and it keeps coming toward you, getting within arm's length, give it a 'good pop to the nose,' Lowe said. 'The animal has to know you'll defend yourself,' he said. How hard should you strike its nose? 'It's not a little flick, it's not a hand wave,' Lowe said. 'You want the animal to know you will defend yourself because, in many cases, they are just as afraid of getting hurt as you are. A little bop on the nose quite often is enough to stop that from happening, and of course, you keep backing up. That's the best you can do in those circumstances.' If the shark bites you, you should punch it in the nostrils, eyes and gills. 'There are pretty good eyewitness accounts of people fighting back, and that making a difference and then getting the shark to release. And in some cases, they don't even see the shark after that,' Lowe said. Most sharks bite once and leave. Like other apex predators in California, sharks have in rare instances attacked and, in even rarer instances, killed people. In the past 75 years, there have been about 223 shark incidents in California, with 'incident' defined as a documented encounter where a shark touched a person or their surfboard, paddleboard, kayak, etc., according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Of that, at least 195 of the incidents involved white sharks. None of the 16 fatal shark incidents in California occurred in L.A. County. These numbers feel even lower when you consider that millions of people visit California's beaches every year. Even with the large number of white sharks present along Southern California beaches, swimming and recreating along the coastline remains a largely safe activity, Lowe said. (In terms of risks, you're much more likely to step on a stingray.) I hope you will never need these tips and instead have great experiences this summer on our beautiful beaches. I have to admit that, as someone who grew up in the landlocked state of Oklahoma, I came into this conversation with a lot of fear. It doesn't help that my wife watches the Discovery Channel's Shark Week every year. But after talking to Lowe, I feel about sharks like I do about bears and mountain lions. They live here too, and when we visit their homes, we could see them. More often than not, they mean us no harm and want to be left alone to live their lives — just like we do ours. 'People need to stop thinking of these animals as nothing more than these mindless animals,' Lowe said. 'They are more like us than [people] think. If somebody was invading your personal spaces, you should defend yourself. You will defend yourself, whether you do it innately or not. The animals will do the same. If they feel threatened, they will protect themselves.' Note: Out of concern for the safety of community members who could be targeted in ICE raids, multiple outdoors events have been postponed this week. Please check before heading out to make sure the activity you're attending is still happening. 1. Hike on the longest day of the year in ChatsworthThe Chatsworth Nature Preserve will host a summer solstice event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday featuring guided hikes, storytelling, live animal exhibits and more. Guests should wear hats and comfy shoes and they should bring refillable water bottles and sunscreen. Dogs are not allowed. Visitors should enter through the Valley Circle Boulevard gate, west of Plummer Street. Learn more at 2. Tend to trees near MalibuThe Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains needs volunteers from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday to care for newly planted oak trees in Nicholas Flat in Leo Carrillo State Park. Participants will water, weed and mulch around newly planted trees and possibly plant acorns to replace trees that died. Volunteers will also collect data for a reforestation project. Volunteers should wear comfortable clothing and durable shoes. Register at 3. Celebrate inclusivity and nature in San DimasL.A. County Parks and Recreation will host Pride Outside at 5 p.m. Friday at the San Dimas Canyon Nature Center (1628 N. Sycamore Canyon Road in San Dimas). The event will include a hike alongside representatives from Pomona Valley Pride, which is partnering with the county for the event. Learn more at the park's Instagram page. The Chuckwalla National Monument, a 624,000-acre desert landscape next to Joshua Tree National Park, faces an increased threat of losing its federal monument status after a recent ruling from the Department of Justice. Times staff writer Lila Seidman reports that a May 27 legal opinion by President Trump's DOJ overturns a more than 80-year-old Justice Department determination that presidents can't revoke national monuments created by their predecessors under the Antiquities Act. This opens a wide window for Trump to dismantle Chuckwalla and the Sáttítla Highlands near the Oregon border, which President Biden established as national monuments shortly before leaving office. 'Whether presidents have the authority to alter monuments is hotly contested,' Seidman wrote. 'Litigation challenging Trump's previous monument reductions was still pending when Biden reversed them and the matter was never settled.' We'll keep you posted on what happens next. Happy adventuring, The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, which manages more than 75,000 acres of public land around L.A. County, announced this week that it is reopening multiple hiking areas closed in response to the Palisades fire. This includes the popular Escondido Canyon Park & Falls, which I'm eager to see, and San Vicente Mountain Park. A few Wilders, who recently emailed me regarding trail closures, will be happy to hear Westridge-Canyonback Wilderness Park and Mandeville Canyon are reopening too. You can read more about other recent trail reopenings here. For more insider tips on Southern California's beaches, trails and parks, check out past editions of The Wild. And to view this newsletter in your browser, click here.
Los Angeles Times
29-05-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve nonprofit awards first college scholarships
Eight high school seniors have received some money to help them get started in college, thanks to a new scholarship provided by Huntington Beach environmental nonprofit Amigos de Bolsa Chica. Amigos presented the scholarships to the students from Long Beach and Orange County-area high schools on May 17. The recipients, their families and guests were then treated to a tour of the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, as well as the Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach with Dr. Chris Lowe and Amigos volunteer Sam Lopez. Ocean View High senior Alexa Barrera, the oldest daughter in her family and the first to attend college, was among the recipients. Barrera has been active in the Seahawks' college preparatory program, Stepping Up, and served on the stunt cheerleading team this year. She will enroll in the nursing program at Golden West College. The scholarship is named after Bill and Meredyth Stern, according to Amigos de Bolsa Chica President Mel Nutter. Bill Stern, an Amigos board member, died in 2022, and his wife Meredyth subsequently made a $2 million donation in his honor. 'She wanted to honor Bill by providing Amigos with some additional resources for the different things we were doing, including encouraging us to create the scholarship,' Nutter said. 'It's been kind of an exciting ride for us, because of course part of what Amigos de Bolsa Chica is interested in is environmental education. It's a new thing. On the other hand, we anticipate we're going to be doing it from now on out.' The others awarded included Annabelle Kerendian of Lakewood High, Jillene Wetteland of Long Beach Poly High, Fernando Ortega of Santa Ana High, Yayoy Espinoza Soriano of Segerstrom High, Jim Le of Westminster High, Tiffany Nguyen of Garden Grove High and Kristy Huynh of Rancho Alamitos High. Each were selected after Amigos de Bolsa Chica received numerous applications. Nutter said a framed picture has been signed by each recipient and will be sent to Meredyth Stern. He said it was fun meeting and celebrating the high school seniors. 'I had never been to the Shark Lab myself before, and it was really impressive,' Nutter said.
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
California swimmer has very lucky escape after encounter with 'curious' great white shark
A lucky swimmer managed to escape after a 'curious' great white shark reportedly bumped into them at a California beach. The terrifying incident took place Tuesday around 10.30am at Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego when a shark was spotted swimming offshore near Lifeguard Tower #5, park officials said. Shortly after, an investigation determined the shark measured about seven to eight feet in length and swam away after its brief interaction with the unidentified swimmer. Several warning signs were posted at beach access points near Towers #2, #5 and #7 after the sighting. The warnings remained in place for 24 hours. Though it is not uncommon for the sea creatures to make their way back to the warm California beaches this time of year, it is 'rare' to see them 'bump' into people, Shark Lab director Chris Lowe told NBC San Diego. 'It's actually really rare for sharks to actually bump swimmers or surfers,' he explained. 'We have lots of sharks, and we have lots of people, usually in close proximity to each other all summer long, and the sharks tend to ignore people.' Lowe believes the shark might have collided with the swimmer because it was startled or possibly just curious about them. Jack Elstner, a PH.D. student at Scripps University of Oceanography, echoes Lowe's mention that this is the exact time of year sharks, specifically juveniles, come back to the shores of Southern California. 'Juvenile white sharks use near-shore beach environments as nursery habitats, and they like these areas because the waters are warm, which allows the sharks to grow quickly,' Elstner told ABC 10News. 'There's tons for them to eat, so there are lots of stingrays and little fish.' When he heard about the size of the shark, Elstner said he immediately knew it was young. 'These sharks really like the warmer water temperatures, so when the water gets cold, they go south down to Baja a lot of the times, but when the water warms up in Southern California, we start to see them coming back to our beaches,' he added. Although many fear sharks coming back to parts of the ocean for the summer, Elstner said it is actually a great sign that they return. 'A lot of people think that shark sightings can be scary, and of course these are large predators in the ocean that we have to respect, but also the presence of sharks in these habitats is a sign that the ecosystem is healthy and recovering,' he continued. Lowe still advised beach-goers to remain cautious as the weather warms up, not just because of sharks, but also other sea animals. 'They're always out there,' he said. 'Go enjoy the beach, enjoy the water, know that these animals are out there. Remember that there are also stingrays out there, and stingrays hurt about 10,000 people a year in California.' California State Parks shared the same reminder, telling 'California State Parks would like to remind visitors that sharks are an important part of the coastal ecosystem and that interactions between humans and sharks are rare along the Southern California coast.' Shark season in San Diego hits a peak in July or August and can sometimes go into September. The season in general takes place April-November. News of this sighting comes months after an enormous great white shark was seen stalking a popular Florida beach in January. The 1,400-pound, 13-foot shark was detected prowling the waters off Florida's coastline as authorities warned beachgoers to be on the lookout for the fish. The shark, nicknamed 'Breton,' surfaced an astonishing four times in a single day near Daytona Beach. According to data from OSEARCH - a globally renowned nonprofit dedicated to marine research - Breton first pinged his presence days before, but it was the constant flurry of activity that set researchers and locals abuzz. The shark's tag, a sophisticated tracking device affixed to his dorsal fin, indicated his movements every time he surfaced - providing a rare and chilling glimpse into the habits of these ocean predators. Breton's fin was tagged during OSEARCH's 2020 Nova Scotia expedition with the hulking predator named after Cape Breton, where scientists first encountered him. Over the past four-and-a-half years, Breton has become a legend among researchers, logging an astonishing 41,000 miles in his odyssey through the Atlantic.
