El Niño fuels odd sea life and California shark surge
An intensifying El Niño is warming California waters and boosting nino california shark activity, with greater numbers of juvenile white sharks arriving from the south and unusual tropical visitors such as venomous yellow-bellied sea snakes expected along the West Coast this summer and fall, experts warn. Scientists say the climate pattern can create what one researcher calls a "whole different ocean," shifting predators and prey into places they rarely appear.
Key Takeaways
- Warm El Niño waters are expected to draw more juvenile white sharks and tropical species toward California.
- Experts also anticipate venomous yellow-bellied sea snakes, stingrays, mahi mahi, and other unusual visitors.
- Shark encounters remain rare: California has logged 236 shark-people interactions since 1950 versus roughly 120 million beach visits a year.
- Scientists say stingray injuries may climb more than white-shark risk for typical beachgoers.
According to USA Today, this El Niño is forecast among the strongest events, stacking new heat on an existing marine heat wave. That combo is already delivering early oddities along the coast.
Why is El Niño changing California's ocean?
El Niño brings warmer-than-normal water to the eastern Pacific. Off California, that can suppress the usual upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water that feeds fish, kelp forests, and other marine life.
"We get this whole different ocean," said Chris Lowe, a marine biology professor and director of the Shark Lab at Long Beach State University. Squid, anchovies, and sardines get pushed north, and tropical hunters follow.
Douglas McCauley, director of the Benioff Ocean Initiative at the University of California, Santa Barbara, put it plainly: "We expect to see all kinds of weird tropical things come up with this warm water." More on similar coastal oddities lives in our Bizarre World coverage.
What odd sea creatures could show up?
Beyond white sharks, strong El Niños have previously brought tiger and bull sharks to California waters. Hammerheads can arrive chasing mahi mahi and, Lowe noted, can be more aggressive while hunting fish. Two hammerhead bites were reported offshore during the 2015-2016 event.
McCauley said visitors already include mahi mahi, with more bluefin tuna, sea turtles, and sea snakes likely. The yellow-bellied sea snake is highly venomous and should not be handled; The Independent noted Australian Museum guidance that a bite can cause paralysis and death within hours without treatment.
Lowe also flagged a stingray surge. Warmer water tends to bring more brown stingrays, a favorite of juvenile sharks. California lifeguards already treat at least 10,000 stingray injuries a year, he said, predicting that number will rise sharply.
Should beachgoers worry about more sharks?
Juvenile white sharks track a narrow "just right" temperature band and can push north when waters warm. During the strong 2015 El Niño, Lowe said juvenile white shark numbers doubled and reached Monterey. A UC Santa Barbara drone project has already seen a twofold increase in white sharks this year amid the marine heat wave.
Scientists stressed that more mostly smaller white sharks does not necessarily mean higher risk for swimmers. Lowe's Shark Lab is urging fishermen, surfers, and others to expect animals "they're not used to sharing it with" and adjust behavior for safety.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has documented only 236 shark-people interactions off the state since 1950. McCauley called the season ahead a "double whammy" of heat-wave warmth plus El Niño, expecting a weird fall and winter—but not a normal ocean.