*** Official Shark Thread ***

hammies

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Apr 8, 2006
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Here in 805 its the territory biggest predator separate juveniles from the landlords. The juvs hang at bed'wetter, harbor, and cam'Puss etc and the big guys/gals feast in the Channel Islands:shark:
There is a reason why they call that certain place Shark Park
 
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jkb

Tom Curren status
Feb 22, 2005
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Wow! Thank you so much for the info, is this similar to what is happening in Massachusetts too?
I'm sure it is.

Marine mammal protection started in 1972 and seal/sea lion numbers started increasing thereafter. The time it takes them to reach sexual maturity is relatively short (4-5 years), so populations increase rapidly.

GWS protection in all US waters was implemented in 1997. They reach sexual maturity much later (almost 20 years for a female) so their populations are a lot slower to grow. Because of this their recovery will naturally lag, but I suspect they've turned the corner and their population numbers are increasing with plenty of food and protected status for 24 years now.
 
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One-Off

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Jul 28, 2005
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I think their numbers are rebounding back from a low in the 1970's-80's and they are basically re-inhabiting the territories they once inhabited.

Since there are more sharks, the big adults who frequent the well known feeding ground hotspots protect those spots and chase the up and comers away. The up and comers have to find new feeding ground and that's (I think) why we're seeing more in areas we're not typically used to seeing them.

Same thing with birthing grounds. The typical birthing hotspots are becoming overcrowded, so new (to us) birthing spots are being used. The young tend to follow water temps, so if it remains warm year long, they are happy to stay......like when the warm blob was around the CA coast for a few years. If the water gets cold, I think they head south to something more comfortable.
Last time we were at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium we went to a special presentation about white sharks. One thing I remember is that Malibu was a breeding ground (all the white sharks they've had on display were taken off Malibu), but after the season the juveniles head south and the adults head north. The biologist said it was an evolutionary adaptation that protects the young from becoming prey of the elders. Nature is a trip.
 
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r32

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A bit long but worth a watch. Makes me want to get a drone and look more closely at central coast. But in certain areas drones are prohibited. Oddly, those areas would probably have the best chance at seeing landlord.

Interesting encounters between shark and humans.

 
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youcantbeserious

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That's close!
Saw the exact same thing happen at a beach park in Laie with my family, those sand sharks come right on to shore and they get big. I was on the beach and there were four all rolling in the shore break, nearly beaching themselves, no idea why, while the water was FULL of groms surfing, including my kid. I grabbed a board and paddled out to escort some of the kids in, but the sharks were gone pretty quick.
 
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youcantbeserious

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ghostshaper

Phil Edwards status
Jan 22, 2005
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"Though the overall population numbers seemed strong, the researchers were slightly worried to find that the adult female great white population is only around 60."

"A survey of the great whites (Carcharodon carcharias) off the northern coast finds a stable adult population and a slight uptick in the number of subadult sharks, totaling 300 individuals."

https://www.livescience.com/healthy-california-shark-population.html
 
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000

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Somewhere near the middle of this long shitty hipster video is a great white in Encinitas attacking something next to a surfer.
 
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jkb

Tom Curren status
Feb 22, 2005
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Interesting story. 6-8ft is still baby size.......and it's extraordinarily rare for them to attack a human at that size. Usually they're still hunting for salmon and rays and haven't moved on to pinnipeds yet. I remember a baby bit someone out at 204 circa 2003. Minimal injuries in that case and not 'serious' like is being reported here.

I wonder if the shark will end up being bigger than initial reports.
 

hammies

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They always talk about how juvenile GW's are not a threat. If I saw a 6 - 8 foot fluffy out surfing I'd sh!t my wetsuit!
 

r32

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Bummer for the guy. I hope he's ok. I wonder how far out in the surf he was.

Gray whale cove is a nude beach and quite popular when the weather is nice in the Fall. There is also a nice chill hiking trail on the opposite side of the highway.

 

SFKneelo

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Feb 11, 2003
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Interesting story. 6-8ft is still baby size.......and it's extraordinarily rare for them to attack a human at that size. Usually they're still hunting for salmon and rays and haven't moved on to pinnipeds yet. I remember a baby bit someone out at 204 circa 2003. Minimal injuries in that case and not 'serious' like is being reported here.

I wonder if the shark will end up being bigger than initial reports.
I’ve been tuning in to get better scoop, thinking about this... no material updates/details that I’ve found :shrug:
 
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