{"id":860444,"date":"2026-06-11T18:36:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T18:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/860444\/"},"modified":"2026-06-11T18:36:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T18:36:30","slug":"el-nino-could-bring-sharks-to-beaches-that-have-never-seen-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/860444\/","title":{"rendered":"El Ni\u00f1o could bring sharks to beaches that have never seen them"},"content":{"rendered":"

A warming ocean<\/a>\u2014and the potential influence of El Ni\u00f1o\u2014has put shark activity back into focus this summer, raising a familiar question: are more sharks<\/a> being sighted, and should beachgoers be worried?<\/p>\n

Recent headlines have added to that sense of concern.\u00a0Australia has recorded its fourth fatal shark attack<\/a> of 2026, matching the kind of total usually seen over an entire year, while divers recently captured rare underwater footage of a great white shark in the Mediterranean, where sightings are extremely uncommon.<\/p>\n

Closer to home, a Navy base employee was critically injured in a shark attack<\/a> in Florida on June 9, after being bitten while swimming near a marina at Naval Support Activity Panama City. The individual was taken to hospital in critical condition, though authorities have not yet confirmed the species involved.<\/p>\n

Scientists say changing ocean conditions can play a role in where sharks appear\u2014but the reality is more nuanced than a simple surge.<\/p>\n

\"\"The El Ni\u00f1o Effect<\/p>\n

Climate patterns like El Ni\u00f1o<\/a> can warm ocean waters and reshape marine ecosystems, pushing both prey and predators into new areas. El Ni\u00f1o is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific. The warmer water<\/a> associated with El Ni\u00f1o displaces colder water in the upper layer of the ocean causing an increase in sea surface height.<\/p>\n

Chris Lowe, professor of marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, pointed to these shifting conditions as a factor that can influence where sharks are found.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>Oceanographers are predicting a very strong El Ni\u00f1o<\/a> this year, and when that happens we do start to see sharks show up in places where we don\u2019t see them before,\u201c Lowe told Newsweek.<\/p>\n

\u201cA\u00a0lot of that is driven by water temperature. So as water temperatures increase, these sharks are moving to places where they find more comfortable conditions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As the water temperature increases, Lowe said that the California area can expect to see more species of shark usually reserved for much warmer waters, partly because warmer waters in their usual habitats push them into new environments. \u201cDuring strong El Ni\u00f1o\u2019s, like the one that\u2019s being predicted, we get tiger sharks<\/a>, bull sharks, whale sharks, manta rays and even hammerheads. We have all these species that we don\u2019t normally get,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

John Chisholm, an adjunct scientist at the New England Aquarium, said broader climate shifts have also resulted in changes to species further north.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen spinner sharks and blacktip sharks, which are warm-water sharks, starting to show up up here. Every year more and more of them show up,\u201d Chisholm told Newsweek.<\/p>\n

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Service URL: https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/O2IOQ\/1\/ <\/p>\n

More Sightings\u2014But Not Necessarily More Danger<\/p>\n

Despite the headlines, global data suggests the overall risk remains low.<\/p>\n

The Florida Museum of Natural History\u2019s International Shark Attack File recorded 65 unprovoked shark bites worldwide in 2025, alongside 29 provoked incidents and 105 total reported interactions. That figure is broadly in line with recent averages, with researchers noting that year-to-year fluctuations are expected.<\/p>\n

The United States recorded the highest number of cases with 25 unprovoked bites, followed by Australia with 21. Florida accounted for 11 incidents, the most of any U.S. state.<\/p>\n

Most encounters were linked to everyday beach activity, including swimming and wading (46 percent) and surfing or board sports (32 percent), underscoring how often interactions happen in shared coastal spaces.<\/p>\n

Chisholm said the number of shark-related incidents remains extremely low compared to the number of people entering the ocean.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you look at the amount of beachgoers in the ocean every day and the number of incidents, it shows the sharks aren\u2019t interested in people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He added that modern technology can amplify perception.\u00a0\u201cWith cell phone technology, a lot of stuff is captured on camera and shared on social media, so it gets kind of blown out of proportion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Lowe echoed this, explaining that many people are already swimming harmoniously alongside sharks.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of our most recent data in California shows that white sharks are around people all the time, people just don\u2019t know they\u2019re there,\u201d Lowe said. \u201cUsing drone footage we see sharks swimming right by people and not even changing their path. They\u2019re completely ignoring people.\u201d<\/p>\n

How to Stay Safe<\/p>\n

Instead of alarm, scientists stress awareness.<\/p>\n

Chisholm encourages beachgoers to be \u201cshark smart\u201d\u2014meaning staying aware of surroundings, avoiding areas with visible prey like seals or large schools of fish, and not swimming alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s their home, you\u2019ve just got to respect the fact that it\u2019s their home,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He also encouraged people to report shark sightings, either using the Sharktivity app\u00a0by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy or by reporting sightings to their local authority. This allows the correct people to be able to both provide warnings to beachgoers and contribute to research efforts.<\/p>\n

While global headlines may suggest sharks are becoming more common, experts say what people are seeing is largely the result of seasonal patterns, shifting ecosystems and increased visibility.<\/p>\n

Some species are appearing in new places, and environmental changes may continue to reshape where sharks are found.<\/p>\n

Sightings may increase as summer progresses\u2014but the risk to humans remains extremely low.<\/p>\n

Related Articles<\/strong><\/p>\n

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