Shark experts are urging beachgoers to stay alert as summer activity along U.S. coasts picks up, warning that August typically brings more sharks into nearshore waters as they migrate and feed. Attacks remain rare, they emphasize, but encounters do happen, and lifeguards in some areas have already responded to minor incidents this season.
Dr. Chris Lowe, a professor of marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, said white shark activity has increased so far this year, and he expects even more sharks off the Southern California coast between August and October. Wyatt Wernath, national spokesperson for the American Lifeguard Association and a retired ocean rescue chief from Cocoa Beach, Florida, said his region is seeing typical numbers for this time of year, though there have been «a couple little nibbles» where people were bitten on the heels or toes.
Preparation is the first line of defense, according to the experts. Before visiting a new beach, swimmers should locate lifeguards and check for shark sightings, rip currents, jellyfish and other hazards. Understanding beach flag systems is also important: red flags signal high hazard, yellow flags call for caution, green flags mean low hazard, purple or blue flags indicate the presence of marine life, and a combination of red and blue flags signals hazardous marine life such as sharks or dangerous jellyfish. «If you can prepare yourself by knowing before you go, you are going to have a much safer and enjoyable vacation or trip to the open water where the sharks live,» Wernath said.
The ocean itself can offer clues that a shark is nearby. Experts advise paying attention to unusual animal behavior. Water that appears to be percolating on the surface can mean fish are fleeing from predators, and birds diving into the water and feeding erratically can also signal that a shark is in the area. «Do not go in the water, get out of the water,» Wernath said. Lowe also recommends avoiding dead marine life, which can attract sharks, and notes that a seal climbing onto a surfboard is often a sign that the animal is trying to escape a larger predator. Dense schools of fish known as bait balls should also be avoided; if one forms beneath a surfboard, the surfer should move away to avoid an approaching shark.
Some recreational activities carry more risk, Lowe said. Open-ocean spear fishing and kayak fishing have grown more popular in recent decades, and both can put people near sharks that may not have had much contact with humans. «Not only do you have a bloody fish on the end of your spear, but you are out around sharks that might not have been around people before,» he said. «So, we just do not know how those sharks will react.» He added that kayak anglers with their legs in the water and a fish on board could be mistaken by an excited shark trying to steal the catch.
When diving or snorkeling, experts say it is important not to present yourself as prey. Sharks are most active at dawn and dusk, so avoiding those peak feeding times lowers the risk of an encounter. Murky water can make it harder for sharks to identify what they are seeing, and shiny jewelry may mimic fish scales, so both should be avoided. Swimming in a group is statistically safer than swimming alone, Lowe noted, and companions can help if something goes wrong.
If a shark is spotted, the first step is to confirm that it is actually a shark, since dolphin and stingray fins can look similar. Sharks often reveal both their dorsal and tail fins, while dolphins and stingrays typically show a single fin before disappearing underwater. As Wernath put it, tail fins move in a sweeping motion; a shark will not go under gradually like a submarine or arc in the rolling fashion of a dolphin. Once the animal is identified, experts say to give it space and calmly leave the water.
«Do not splash, do not cause a commotion, which will attract the shark, but just get out,» Lowe said. Surfers and boogie boarders should try to pull themselves onto their boards and avoid presenting themselves as prey. Keeping eyes on the shark is also important. «If you see the shark, always keep your eyes on it,» he advised. «Follow it, track it, let the shark know you see it, turn your body toward it.» If the shark moves closer, the safest response is to back away slowly while continuing to face it. If it disappears from view, Lowe said, the first place to check is behind you, because a shark approaching from behind may be trying to investigate without being noticed.