Great Whites Say So Long To OC Beaches, Experts Say

DANA POINT, CA — It's been a challenging year for shark-wary Southern Californians. While the local great white population boom has frightened beach-goers, surfers and closed numerous beaches since 2014, local shark expert Dr. Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach, has determined that perhaps those 15-plus juvenile great whites who call soCal home are heading further south.

"When the temperatures drop, (great whites) start their southern migration," Lowe told the OC Register in a recent report. Over the past few years, El Niño conditions raised the temperatures of the water making a more suitable climate for the local great white population to stick around. The great white sharks have frequented beaches from Long Beach, Malibu, Newport Beach, Dana Point, San Clemente to San Onofre since 2014.

"This year, so far, they are acting more like they did prior to El Niño ," Lowe told the Register.

The information collected by Lowe's Shark Lab suggests that most of the great white sharks they have tagged and monitored in Southern California waters are heading or have already headed south toward Baja. The data collected shows that many of the tagged sharks headed to Mexican waters in October of 2017.

According to Lowe, 16 Dana Point and San Clemente sharks have dwindled to merely four. Out of six Long Beach area sharks, only two remain. There are 12 more receivers monitoring shark behavior in the waters from Palos Verdes to Malibu that have not yet been reviewed, according to a recent report from the OC Register.

Have the great whites returned to normal migration habits? That remains to be seen. There is much still to learn about the great whites, according to Lowe's research, such as where the sharks give birth, and why they don't like water that's below 60-degrees or above 84-degrees. Also in question is if they will leave Southern California all together in the winter months. The Shark Lab has created "fit bits" for sharks that help them follow the sharks around and learn exactly where the sharks are. Over the past 10 years, the Shark Lab has tagged and followed the sharks that frequent southern California waters.

"There are a few of them around," Lowe told the Register about the growing juvenile great whites that dominated the coast lines from 2014-2017. When and if the migrating juvenile great whites will return as they grow up is something Lowe and his Shark Lab will continue to monitor. Though the majority seem to have moved south, there are a few hanging about the southern California shores.

For the past several years, beach-goers and Lifeguard's eyes have been trained on the water for great whites due to seemingly more aggressive behavior. In April of 2016, a Newport Beach triathlete almost died after her being bitten by a great white, and in April of 2017 a 10-foot shark attacked a woman swimming off of San Onofre State Beach.

The prolonged presence of the sharks in local waters gave Lowe and his Shark Lab an opportunity to better understand the local great white population and shark behavior. According to Lowe, and other shark experts, young sharks aren't interested in humans for the most part.

"In most cases, when people encounter sharks, the shark is just checking them out," Lowe said in a Shark Lab video. "When sharks start coming closer, moving rapidly toward you and rapidly away, that is a sign of aggression." (Watch the full "Shark Safety" video below).

"We've learned a lot about shark behavior and shark physiology," Lowe said in his descriptive video on how their tracking measures work to monitor great whites and their behavior. "Until we learn about them, we can't make better decisions about how to conserve and protect them, and keep people safe from sharks."

More Great White Shark Stories:

• 'Summer of the Shark' May Not End
• Shark Attack Closes San Onofre Beach
• WATCH: Sharks Swimming Off San Clemente Shore
• Video: Shark Lurks Trestles as Surfer Wipes Out
• Great White Shark Goes Airborne Off Orange County Coast: Watch
• Watch: Shark Attacks Buoy In Dana Point
• Shark Sightings Close Beaches In San Clemente
• Great Shark Forever: Calif. Photographer's Image Inspires USPS ...

Great White Sharks Spotted Off Southern California Coast

SAN CLEMENTE, CA - AUGUST 27: Onlookers try to spot Great White sharks off the coast of San Onofre State Beach August 27, 2003 in San Clemente, California. According to a San Onofre State Beach park ranger, several Whites have been seen swimming in the surf at this beach within the past month. The ranger also stated that the Whites are believed to be approximately two-years-old and around six to eight feet in length. Beachgoers have been advised to stay out of the water until the sightings cease.

Photo by Sandy Huffaker/Getty News / Getty Images