Sharks expected to invade California beaches as Super El Nino heats up the Pacific

An expert has warned that Super El Niño will drive great white sharks to move towards coastlines, leading to a surge in attacks. The weather phenomenon has increased the temperature of the oceans, and the sharks are looking for cooler waters. Chris Lowe, a shark expert at California State University, says they are now travelling north instead of gathering off the Pacific coast of Mexico. They could invade California's coastline between July and September, he said.

According to Lowe, who spoke to The California Post, since 2009, they have tagged and trapped 350 white sharks in Southern California, which has shown that warmer waters push them to migrate. Lowe said that a surge in shark population in the region is seen around mid-April. But this year, baby sharks started reaching the area in February, as they do not like warm waters. This change suggests that more sharks can be expected on the California coast.

Super El Niño has heated the oceans

Notably, El Niño in 2026 is historic, expected to be the worst one in nearly 150 years. The increase in surface temperature of the oceans has caused the water levels to rise as the volume expands from the heat. NASA announced that the Sentinel–6 Michael Freilich satellite has captured elevated sea levels by the end of June.

Also Read: Rare Atlantic Niña could soon grip Earth as Super El Niño tightens its jaws. What to expect?

Talking about the expected situation in California, Professor Lowe warned that these are the same beaches people usually visit. "Because this summer is going to be hotter than normal, we expect a larger than normal beach attendance," he said. Lowe added that more "juvenile white sharks" than normal will reach along the Southern California coastline up to Monterey.

Also Read: NASA satellite spots strongest sign of Super El Nino, confirming all predictions - What to expect?

Besides the great whites, smooth hammerhead sharks will also throng the beaches. This situation can lead to an uptick in shark attack cases. United States already leads the list of countries where most unprovoked shark attack cases occur.