A recent study reveals that ocean-goers, including surfers, swimmers, and stand-up paddleboarders, share the waters with young sharks more often than previously thought. The Cal State Long Beach Shark Lab conducted a two-year research study using video footage and photos from 1,500 drone flights over Southern California beaches. The report, published in the journal PLOS, is the first to document how close juvenile white sharks get to people in the ocean environment. Graduate student Patrick Rex conducted the research, and his evidence showed that even though people frequent the ocean waters, juvenile white sharks were seen at two major “aggregation” sites, where groups of them gather before becoming solitary individuals. Juvenile sharks were observed within 50 yards of surfers and stand-up paddleboarders, who were often unaware of the shark’s presence. However, over the two-year study period, there were no reported shark bites, even in areas with frequent shark sightings. The research focuses on young sharks that feed on stingrays in shallow water, and not the behavior of larger, older sharks hunting for larger marine mammals. The State of California Shark Beach Safety program, operated through the CSULB Shark Lab, aims to study sharks and educate the public on how to safely enjoy the beach. The findings suggest that sharks and humans peacefully coexist in the same location, without endangering each other.
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