Shark Bites – news & sightings
Speaking of shark bites… Many Californians are calling 2012 the year of the shark. Last year in Santa Cruz, great white sharks were spotted at the Coldwater Classic surf competition in November and at Seacliff State Beach in July. In July, a shark also knocked a kayaker into the ocean near Pleasure Point. Down the coast in Santa Barbara, a surfer saw a shark at Santa Barbara Harbor in September, and in October a surfer was killed by a shark off Surf Beach near Vandenberg Air Force Base. Great whites also appeared off the San Diego coastline, among other locations.
Despite the increase in sightings, studies estimate there are only about 340 great white sharks off the West Coast—sparking calls to list great white sharks as an endangered species. Even though the hunting of sharks is banned on the California coast, around the world humans kill millions of sharks a year.
While these apex predators look fearsome, they rarely attack people. In the last 60 years, there have been 13 documented fatalities by great white sharks in California. More people die from insect stings or dog bites than shark bites. So, while it’s smart to keep your distance from sharks, watch out for those bees and dogs, too.
