Juvenile great white shark sightings are increasing along the Southern California coastline this spring, including in Orange County waters, as unusually warm ocean temperatures bring more sharks closer to shore earlier in the year than usual.
Researchers at the California State University Long Beach Shark Lab say the trend is tied to a marine heat wave affecting the California coast, and it could lead to what Shark Lab director Chris Lowe described as a “very sharky summer.”
Scientists say juvenile great whites, typically measuring between 4 and 9 feet long, migrate north from Baja California during spring and summer, gathering in shallow coastal waters where temperatures are warmer and food is abundant. This year, researchers observed some juveniles arriving as early as February, earlier than the usual late-April or May arrival window…