California Braces for 2x More Young White Sharks as Strong El Niño Warms Mexican Waters
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 17
California Braces for 2x More Young White Sharks as Strong El Niño Warms Mexican Waters
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 17
Summary
Juvenile great white sharks are already appearing along California’s coast, and researchers say this could be the state’s sharkiest summer in a decade.
Warmer-than-usual waters off Mexico during a strong El Niño are pushing the 6ft-to-9ft sharks north; in the last comparably strong El Niño in 2015, researchers saw about twice the usual number.
250 shark incidents and 17 fatalities have been recorded in California since 1950, with deadly bites holding near 2.5 per decade despite the young sharks’ growing nearshore presence.
Drone, tracking and audio studies suggest white sharks usually investigate people and then turn away, with researchers saying humans do not look, sound or smell like prey.
Florida logged 11 unprovoked bites in 2025—44% of the US total—highlighting that California’s risk profile differs because its nearshore sharks are mostly juvenile white sharks rather than species more prone to biting.