2015 Turning Out To Be Year Of The Shark

Expect a record-breaking year for sharks.

One of the most recent sightings happend Sunday off Summerland. Geoff Crane, of Gifften and Crane General Contractors, spotted what he estimated was a 12 foot great white alongside his 24 foot boat.

He was able to snap two pictures.

“It was roughly half the length of the boat,” Crane said over the phone.

Peter Howorth, a local marine mammal and shark expert, said so far this year he’s logged 30 sightings, encounters and attacks involving dangerous sharks, compared to 27 for all of last year.

“We still have 3 months to go,” Howorth said.

Howorth explained how a mass of warm water linked to El Nino is bringing Spanish mackeral, yellowtail and other prey that sharks feed on — and more dangerous sharks, including hammerhead and mako — closer to shore.

Warmer water is just one part of the shark equation off our coast.

“Los Angeles and Orange County (water) is a nursery ground for young white sharks, we’re seeing juvenile sharks in areas where we normally wouldn’t,” said Howorth.

Those two factors combined are creating a larger shark population off the coast of Southern California.

NewsChannel 3 asked Howorth if a group of swimmers spotted late Tuesday morning off Leadbetter Beach was safe.

“White sharks are known to take sea lions off rocks and harbor seals off sandbars, literally coming out of the water to do so,” Howorth said. “People have been attacked in three feet of water. Shallow water is not necessarily safe.”

Howorth urges swimmers, surfers and kayakers to be extra cautious.

“Just try to be involved,” he said. “We’re not trying to scare people but I think it’s good for warnings … try to get some good information before you go out.”

Sharks that feed on sea lions and harbor seals stay full longer; Those preying on yellowtail and other fish will stay in the area for an extended time, up to a month, according to our local shark expert.

Howorth said the largest shark to date was spotted by a group of UC Santa Barbara divers off the end of the Goleta Pier weeks ago; It was about 17-feet long.

“The size of a VW bus,” Howorth said. They got out of the water right away.”