Young White Sharks Flock to Southern California Shores

Warm ocean temperatures draw more sharks to popular beaches, marine biologist warns

Mar. 28, 2026 at 5:40am

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After a young white shark was spotted off the Newport Beach coast, renowned marine biologist Chris Lowe of California State University, Long Beach warned that Southern California residents could see a surge in shark sightings by the end of summer due to unusually warm ocean temperatures forming a 'marine heat wave' that is drawing more young sharks to the region's coastline.

Why it matters

The influx of young white sharks to Southern California's beaches is a sign that the local marine ecosystem is getting healthier, but it also raises concerns about potential encounters between sharks and swimmers, even though shark attacks remain extremely rare.

The details

Lowe said the warmer waters, which are expected to continue due to a strong El Niño weather pattern, have pushed many young white sharks to stay in the Southern California region, which acts as a nursery for the species. While the sharks are not a threat to humans and typically ignore people, Lowe cautioned they are still wild animals that could potentially hurt someone if they feel threatened.

  • The young white shark was spotted off the Newport Beach coast recently.
  • Lowe expects to see more white shark sightings by the end of the summer.

The players

Chris Lowe

The director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach and a renowned marine biologist.

Newport Beach

A coastal city in Southern California where a young white shark was recently spotted.

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What they’re saying

“It is gearing up to be a sharky summer.”

— Chris Lowe, Marine Biologist

“The water is unusually warm for this time of year, and it's formed what we call a marine heat wave. Oceanographers believe that we are going to have a strong El Niño this year. The last time we experienced this was 2015.”

— Chris Lowe, Marine Biologist

“Baja got so warm in 2015 that it pushed a lot of these white sharks in Southern California; some of them went all the way to Monterey. That is looking to be very similar to what we are already seeing now.”

— Chris Lowe, Marine Biologist

“What we think is going on is these sharks are around people all the time. We don't pose a threat to them, and we don't smell or sound like food, so they ignore us.”

— Chris Lowe, Marine Biologist

“The fact they're here means our oceans are getting healthier. In California, we have done a good job of managing our fisheries, cleaning up pollution and things like that. Actually making the ecosystem healthier, and we know that because we have white sharks here.”

— Chris Lowe, Marine Biologist

What’s next

Lowe said the young sharks don't know how to hunt yet and are sticking to eating stingrays. However, he cautioned they are still wild animals and could potentially hurt someone if they feel threatened.

The takeaway

The influx of young white sharks to Southern California's beaches is a sign that the local marine ecosystem is recovering, but it also raises concerns about potential encounters between sharks and swimmers, underscoring the need for continued conservation efforts and public awareness about shark behavior.