Quick Take
Over the past 10 years, an area of Soquel Cove between New Brighton State Beach and Rio Del Mar has earned the title “Shark Park” due to the increasingly high number of juvenile white sharks spotted in its waters during the summer months. This year, though, researchers have seen a ton of sharks, even for Shark Park — and they have some thoughts as to why that might be happening.
The ocean is one of Santa Cruz’s defining features, particularly in the summer, when locals and tourists alike flock to the sands to soak up the sun and enjoy the waters of Monterey Bay. It’s also the perfect time to take the opportunity to participate in a unique local experience — shark tours.
Since about 2014, juvenile white sharks have been moving up the coast from Baja California in higher numbers than they had historically. Why? Because of a mass of warm water that scientists dubbed “the blob.” The water is warmest in the summer, which means for the next three to four months, the stretch of ocean between Capitola’s New Brighton State Beach and Rio Del Mar will be teeming with juvenile white sharks.
“Right here, the temperature is really good. About 63 degrees, and the rest of the bay is about 55 degrees,” said James Moskito, who runs Ocean Safaris wildlife tours and scuba instruction out of the Santa Cruz Harbor. “It’s one of the few places where you can just get on a boat, come out and see a shark.”
This year, there are even more of them than usual. Moskito goes out with a tour group of six shark seekers most days of the week during the summer, charging $180 per person for a three-hour tour.
Moskito is no stranger to sharks and marine life. Born and raised in the Bay Area, he’s been involved in many different nature media projects – commercials, movies and television programs including Shark Week productions. His hunger for adventure has taken him around the world, from Fiji to the Bahamas, to research and document marine life, including sharks.
As Moskito stands on his small but quick part-aluminum, part-inflatable boat, bobbing in the waters just off Seacliff State Beach, it didn’t take him long to spot an approximately 5-foot juvenile white shark. It appears like a flat shadow, a shark-shaped void with its fin poking out of the choppy ocean, gliding through the waters right next to the boat. And this was on a generally overcast Monday afternoon — not the best conditions for ocean water viewing.
Moskito spotted five sharks over about a two-hour period, which is both expected and perhaps modest for Shark Park. Some days look much different. Sal Jorgensen, marine ecologist and an assistant professor of marine science at Cal State Monterey Bay, surveyed the area from a helicopter two weeks ago, counting a whopping 50 to 60 sharks — a big increase from the 10 to 20 that researchers often spot from an aerial view in the summer.
“The numbers vary a lot year by year and day by day,” Jorgensen said. “But this year, there’s a particularly large number.”
So what’s causing the even higher number of white sharks in local waters? Researchers aren’t sure yet, but they have some ideas. Jorgensen theorizes that it could be the result of what he calls “upwelling.” On the California coast, that happens when northwest winds bring cold water up from the deep ocean. That cold water then slowly shifts into Soquel Cove, where it forms an eddy. The water swirls around under the sun and warms up, attracting even more sharks.
“The theory is that the smaller sharks are really turning to that area for warmth,” said Jorgensen.
Sean Van Sommeran, executive director of the Pelagic Shark Research Foundation, also said that he isn’t sure, but that he remembers numbers were high in 2019 before dipping over the past several years. He speculates that heavy storms over the past few winters might have kept more sharks out of the area.
“We had these two years of really abrupt, heavy rainfall and storm conditions, and we also had a red tide at Shark Park” he said. “The conditions weren’t ideal and the water wasn’t as warm.
“This year, we’re seeing the ocean more like it was in previous years. The conditions for seeing are better, the waters are warmer and calmer, and they’ve all gathered again.”
With all those sharks lurking right below the ocean’s surface, is it safe to take advantage of the Monterey Bay waters this summer? Experts say yes — at least, as safe as the ocean can be. Juvenile sharks typically go for small fish and steer clear of humans, boats and recreational equipment.
“When [sharks] reach maturity, they start going way into the open ocean,” said Van Sommeran, adding that their diet and behavior changes, which requires them to venture away from the warm coastline. “They can’t hide as well and they look for more ambitious prey items, and as they get bigger they become more insulated.”
“These juvenile sharks are not mammal-feeding yet, and they don’t even take the halibut off these fishers’ fishing lines,” said Moskito. “When they’re here, they’re not in feeding mode.”
That said, it’s still the ocean, and beachgoers need to be aware of potential hazards from marine life to rough tides and even unstable cliffs. Van Sommeran said that although the sharks in the area pose a minimal risk, and no one has ever been bitten in the Shark Park area, there still is a risk involved.
“The ocean is really the last place to go in anticipation of being completely carefree,” said Van Sommeran. “You don’t want to be paranoid, but you want to be prepared and at least come to terms with what the heck you’re doing.”
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