After multiple beach closures in Orange County and a new uptick in shark sightings along the California coast this spring, experts are warning we may be in store for “a very sharky summer.”
“We’re having an unusual early marine heat wave right now in Southern California,” said Dr. Lowe, marine biology professor and director of CSU Long Beach’s Shark Lab. “A lot of sharks are showing up earlier than they normally would, because the water’s warmer.”
Along with the early arrival of warmer conditions, Dr. Lowe noted that the white shark population has also been increasing over the past 20 years.
“It’s probably going to be a very sharky summer… and we’re getting within what we call the sweet spot for their favorite temperature,” Dr. Lowe told KTLA’s Omar Lewis. “People should always assume anytime they’re in the water, a white shark could be nearby.”
This belief has rung true for a handful of Southern Californians in the past few months. In March, an 8-foot great white was seen circling a surfer in Newport Beach; days later, a fisherman conducted a dramatic rescue of a hooked juvenile great white near the Hermosa Beach Pier.
In the past week alone, two sightings of “aggressive” great white sharks prompted beach closures in Huntington Beach, in one case closing down a surf competition for a day. Most recently, a shark was caught on video chasing a hydrofoiler off the Santa Barbara County coastline on Wednesday.
Two men hydrofoiling off the Santa Barbara County coast encountered a shark that continued to follow one of them for at least five minutes on April 25, 2026. (IG @Bigwavetav)
Two men hydrofoiling off the Santa Barbara County coast encountered a shark that continued to follow one of them for at least five minutes on April 25, 2026. (IG @Bigwavetav)
Two men hydrofoiling off the Santa Barbara County coast encountered a shark that continued to follow one of them for at least five minutes on April 25, 2026. (IG @Bigwavetav)
Two men hydrofoiling off the Santa Barbara County coast encountered a shark that continued to follow one of them for at least five minutes on April 25, 2026. (IG @Bigwavetav)
Two men hydrofoiling off the Santa Barbara County coast encountered a shark that continued to follow one of them for at least five minutes on April 25, 2026. (IG @Bigwavetav)
Two men hydrofoiling off the Santa Barbara County coast encountered a shark that continued to follow one of them for at least five minutes on April 25, 2026. (IG @Bigwavetav)
“The good news is, our data shows that even when white sharks are around, they tend to ignore people,” Dr. Lowe pointed out. In addition, researchers have found that juvenile great white sharks (which are most commonly spotted in Southern California) tend to feed on fish and rays, not humans.
While sharks might ignore people, however, people certainly do not ignore sharks.
Along the Southern California coast, officials routinely monitor for shark activity and will clear the water or issue temporary closures when a shark is spotted behaving unpredictably or feeding near shore, which is what just happened in Huntington Beach.
On Wednesday morning, a 9-to-10-foot great white shark was seen “actively feeding” on a sea lion carcass in the surf line, which, according to Huntington Beach Lifeguards, increases the risk of danger to humans due to the large size of the food source.
“The feeding part is concerning because great white sharks, when they’re feeding on a large food source like that, they can be defensive of that food source,” said HBFD Marine Safety Division Chief Trevor McDonald. “And so they can say hey, look, they don’t want anybody coming near that food source. With that, we don’t want any of our beachgoers or anybody from our community putting themselves in that situation.”
In this Aug. 11, 2016, photo, a great white shark swims past researchers as they chum the ocean looking for sharks in the waters off Gansbaai, South Africa. Extensive research by shark expert Michael Rutzen and his marine biologist partner Sara Andreotti has found that great whites off the South African coast are rapidly heading for extinction. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)
Sky5 was over Huntington Beach’s Sunset Beach after a great white shark sighting closed the waters on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (KTLA)
Lifeguards patrol the waters and surfers remain in the lineup near the Huntington Beach Pier following a reported shark sighting that prompted closures. April 2026. (KTLA)
Lifeguards patrol the waters and surfers remain in the lineup near the Huntington Beach Pier following a reported shark sighting that prompted closures. April 2026. (KTLA)
A fisherman wades into the surf to free a juvenile great white shark caught on a fishing line near Hermosa Beach Pier on April 1, 2026. (Alexandra Garry)
A fisherman wades into the surf to free a juvenile great white shark caught on a fishing line near Hermosa Beach Pier on April 1, 2026. (Alexandra Garry)
A fisherman wades into the surf to free a juvenile great white shark caught on a fishing line near Hermosa Beach Pier on April 1, 2026. (Alexandra Garry)
A fisherman wades into the surf to free a juvenile great white shark caught on a fishing line near Hermosa Beach Pier on April 1, 2026. (Alexandra Garry)
Between the proximity to shore and the “aggressive” behavior, officials were quick to issue safety protocols to protect beachgoers.
Those protocols typically include clearing the water and issuing temporary closures, sometimes stretching a mile in each direction, to keep swimmers at a safe distance while sharks pass through.
So, while this may be shaping up to be a “very sharky summer,” experts say it’s less about danger and more about awareness — and learning to share the water safely.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.