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Are grunion to blame for recent increased shark sightings?
March 17th, 2009, 2:01 pm · 6 Comments · posted by Laylan Connelly, staff writer
In the past few days, there has been an increase in reports of sharks along the coast - with several coming in from Orange County.
Last year about this time, we also saw a spike in sightings - with one surfer even claiming his board was chomped on. The Shark Research Commitee posts these sightings, so I thought I’d ask founder Ralph Collier if it has anything to do with the grunion runs, which kicked off last week.
Here’s what he wrote:
“I asked Karen Martinat Pepperdine University if she had any reports of grunion spawns at any of the encounter locations. She did not receive any reports for the first run of the season.
Having said this, I will tell you that for more than 30 years I have studied the relationship between juvenile white sharks and grunion - and the additional prey species the grunion attract.
The birthing of white sharks in Southern California is not an accident of nature, but could be a requirement if the offspring are to survive. When born, young white sharks energy reserves are minimal at best. It is a necessity that they begin to feed very soon or they will drain their only reserves, which will ultimately result in death.
The sharks are born in early spring, which coincides with the commencement of the grunion spawns along the same beaches. With spawns separated by about two weeks, and continuing to September, they have an ample supply of readily avaible food (energy) to sustain life and build reserves.”
Here are some of the recent possible shark activities in Orange County:
On March 16 Don Howarth reported a dead sea lion that he saw while he was walking along Bolsa Chica State Beach near Tower 22 in Huntington Beach between Golden West Street and Warner Avenue. Read more from a story by reporter Annie Burris.
On March 14, Sam Willson, his wife, and mother, were on the Balboa Pier at about 1 p.m. when they saw a small-to-medium-sized sharks for about 30 minutes about 50 – 75 feet away from the pier. It was dark on top about 6 feet in length, but my estimate could be off as we were at an angle. The shark breached at our angle, straight up then faced toward us, then a flat splash. I’m not sure what type of shark it would be, but it definitely was a shark.
On March 11, Steven Lockhart and Aaron Hix were returning from a fishing trip. They were 1.5 – 2 miles off the Newport Beach Jetty, when they spotted an 18-foot long shark traveling at 3-4 knots. Read the story I wrote about their encounter last week.
More shark stories from the Beach Blog:
Paddleboarder reports shark at San Onofre
Shark update: Another report out of San Clemente
How many shark attacks along the Pacific last year?
Huntington woman knocked off kayak by shark
Surfer in HB says he was attacked by shark
POLL: Would you get back in the water after being attacked?
Expert says kayaker encounter with great white was “investigation attack”
Large great white shark follows Outriggers about a mile offshore in Laguna
Great white shark spotted by charter boat 2 miles off Doheny State Beach
Great whites off Newport Beach: photos from 2002
Shark kills swimmer in Solana Beach just south of OC - local beaches stay open
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On March 16 Don Howarthreported a dead sea lion was walking along Bolsa Chica ,I didn’t know a DEAD Sea Lion could walk…
this is great!!… more sharks = less kooks in the water..we need a couple really good attacks in OC and that will really clear out the line up..Make people realize that there is a risk that comes with surfing, and if your not passionate enough about surfing to take those risk, you shouldnt be surfing. go play tennis.
Nice catch P. wording fixed, thanks!
The area around 40th street in NB is just packed with sharks people really should avoid that area at all times……please?
It could because of all the dead whales buried along the local beaches.
All that oil and rotten whale juice leach back into the surf, thus bring in hungry sharks looking for a free meal.
Hi Laylan,
Only juvenile white sharks target the grunions and this on secondary basis, the leopard sharks and smaller coastal sharks are the ones who really target the grunions; the juvenile white sharks target the smaller sharks and larger fishes that are also vectored onto the grunion runs.
More typically seen during Spring, the recent runs are just a bit early but then again we’ve had some out of season conditions lately. Larger subadult white sharks are also sometimes drawn into the grunion runs in their pursuit of marine mammals like harbor seals and porpoises and sealions etc. Larger adult sharks (mostly heading out to sea during this time of season) are a periodic presence more associated with summer and fall seasons, these sharks are seeking larger pinniped prey items for the most part and are far less likely to be encountered near shore at this time of year. Doesnt mean they arent ever going to be present throughout the seasons however there are clearly seasonal peaks in abundances.
Fully most reports of shark ’sightings’ and ’spottings’ are false or erroneous; all too often dolphins are declared as sharks, and any dead seal is all too often falsely attributed to ’shark attacks’.
The sharks have always been there, what has increased is the abundances of recreating beach goers, boaters, surfers, kooks and shark attack promoters that are excited or profiting from the rumor mills and spills, as well there is a shark industry that demands such attentions in order to sell their shark attack books, posters, coffee mugs and aquaria knick-knacks– all of which is focused upon the sharp end of the shark hysteria.
The sharks have always been there, there are natural peaks and valleys in abundances of marine wildlife and periodic sightings are nothing new, Zane Gray was reporting on shark sightings during the late 1920’s… without panic.
There is no data to support a population boom in white sharks and their reproductive biology is almost preventative in regards to mass population increases, the sharks have always been there, what we are ’seeing’ is an all time record number of humans in and on and around the water and all along the waterfront.
Statistics for coastal accidents and injuries (boating, surfing etc) are all rising at more alarming rates than are shark attack stats.
This is all about more people in the water and a shark attack industry which profits from such reportage and negative buzz.
Surf with a buddy,
Sean
S. R. Van Sommeran
Executive Director/CEO
The Pelagic Shark Research Foundation
psrf@pelagic.org
http://WWW.PELAGIC.ORG
Santa Cruz California
Since 1990