California braces for its sharkiest summer in a decade – but experts say don’t panic

Young great white sharks are returning in large numbers, but researchers say humans are not on the menu Surfers, swimmers and fishermen across California will be sharing the waves with an influx of visitors this summer: young great white sharks. Juvenile white sharks are already appearing along the coastline, fleeing warmer than usual waters in Mexico during what’s expected to be an incredibly strong El Niño. But while shark experts say it could be the sharkiest summer in California in a decade, they also say beachgoers shouldn’t be too alarmed as the apex predators have spent generations learning what’s on the menu. And humans aren’t delicious. “Humans don’t look like prey, they don’t sound like prey,” Dr Chris Lowe, the director of the Shark Lab at California State University Long Beach, said. “If it doesn’t feel like prey [to a white shark], they ignore it. It’s not a threat, it’s not food.” Lowe has spent 20 years monitoring white sharks using drones and tracking data. In 2015, the last time El Niño conditions were this strong, his team saw twice as many white sharks along the California coast than usual, to the point that the creatures established a

Jul 17, 2026 → Jul 17, 2026