Sharks
The Blue Shark:
Shark activity is often sporadic in Southern California. For example, Ralph Collier from The Shark Research Committee had this to say: “During the 2007 period, four shark encounters were reported with no attacks. For the same period [last] year, 2008, there have been 22 encounters, including two attacks, one fatal” (Collier, 2008). Attacks are rare, as the report suggests, but they have happened. It is unlikely that you will encounter a shark, but to reduce your chances even further, you should follow these guidelines:
- Don’t swim during periods of grunion spawning, as this will draw sharks closer to shore. Grunion are small fish with the unusual mating habit of laying their eggs on shore. The fish are visible during these periods.
- Don’t swim after sunset and before dawn. Sharks migrate towards land at night.
- Don’t swim if a recent encounter or attack has been reported in the area, as the shark may still be in the area.
Reference
Collier, R. (2008). Pacific Coast Shark News. Shark Research Committee. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from http://www.sharkresearchcommittee.com/index.html