Episodes

  • Shark Surge: California Sees Record Incidents in 2025, Experts Urge Caution

    Shark Surge: California Sees Record Incidents in 2025, Experts Urge Caution
    Jan 17 2026
    California saw a record number of shark incidents in 2025, with ten reported by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the highest total in a single year, though only three caused injuries and one was fatal. This surge highlights growing encounters along the states long coastline, where more than one hundred fifty million people visit beaches annually. The first attack of 2026 struck on January thirteenth, just north of the Gualala River in Mendocino County, one hundred fifteen miles north of San Francisco. Twenty six year old surfer Tommy Civik was paddling out around eight thirty in the morning when a shark slammed into him like a car, snapping his board in half and shredding his wet suit. His friend Marco Guerrero watched from a nearby sandbar, describing a violent thrashing with the sharks tail whipping high above the water, estimating the animal at about six feet long with a white underbelly. Civik flew through the air, suffered leg lacerations needing stitches, but swam to shore on the boards tail piece and drove himself to the hospital. Officials from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife suspect a great white shark, known for breaching attacks on surface prey like seals, and plan DNA tests on the damaged gear to confirm.

    Just weeks earlier, on December twenty first twenty twenty five, experienced triathlete Erica Fox was killed while swimming with a group in Monterey Bay, about two hundred thirty miles south in Pacific Grove. Her body surfaced six days later, wearing a shark deterrent band, marking the second fatal encounter there in three years. The California White Shark Project notes these as two of four bites in the past two months, unusual given how rare attacks are along eight hundred forty miles of coast with over two hundred forty public beaches.

    Worldwide, shark bites remain infrequent, with the United States leading in unprovoked incidents, like thirty six in twenty twenty three, often from mistaken identity rather than predation. Emerging patterns suggest great whites are more active near popular surf and swim spots, possibly drawn by seals or increasing human presence in the water. In response, authorities urge caution, like avoiding solo surfing, and local fire departments in areas such as Mendocino are bolstering water rescue teams with Jet Skis. Beaches may post temporary warnings after sightings, though experts stress attacks stay very uncommon.

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    3 mins
  • Sharks Encroaching on US Coasts: Rare Bites, Common Sightings

    Sharks Encroaching on US Coasts: Rare Bites, Common Sightings
    Jan 14 2026
    In recent months, shark encounters in the United States have drawn attention, though bites remain exceedingly rare compared to how often people share the water with these ocean dwellers. The Department of Natural Resources in the United States Virgin Islands reports that shark encounters are very common, but bites are very rare, with global data from the International Shark Attack File confirming just 47 unprovoked shark bites on humans and 24 provoked ones in the latest full year tracked. In the US, hotspots like Florida, Hawaii, and California continue to see the most activity, often involving surfers or swimmers in murky shallow waters where sharks mistake limbs for prey like seals or fish.

    One notable recent incident occurred off the coast of Florida's Gulf side in late 2025, where a blacktip shark bit a surfer's leg near Sarasota, causing non-life-threatening injuries; witnesses described the shark as about six feet long, circling aggressively before the attack. Similarly, in Hawaii's Oahu waters, a tiger shark was implicated in a provoked bite on a spearfisherman who had hooked it, highlighting how human actions can trigger defensive responses. Worldwide, a major attack took place in Australia near Sydney in early January 2026, where a great white shark fatally injured a swimmer; rescuers noted unusual aggressive patrolling by multiple sharks in the area, possibly linked to warming waters drawing them closer to shore.

    Emerging patterns show sharks venturing nearer beaches due to overfishing of their usual prey, baitfish blooms, and climate-driven shifts in ocean currents, making sightings more frequent from California to the Carolinas. In response, beaches in Florida and South Carolina have ramped up public safety measures, including drone surveillance for shark detection, expanded lifeguard patrols with acoustic deterrents, and warning flags turned red more often during high-risk dawn and dusk hours. California officials are piloting non-lethal repellents like magnetic wristbands for surfers, while Hawaii mandates clearer signage about avoiding shiny jewelry that mimics fish scales.

    News of shark sightings has spiked along the East Coast, with Massachusetts beaches issuing temporary closures after drone footage captured several basking sharks, harmless filter-feeders often confused with predators. These measures aim to balance beach access with safety, as experts emphasize that humans kill far more sharks annually through fishing than vice versa.

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    3 mins
  • Deadly Shark Attacks Reshape Coastal Safety Measures

    Deadly Shark Attacks Reshape Coastal Safety Measures
    Jan 10 2026
    Across the United States and beyond, a series of recent shark incidents is reshaping how communities think about the water, risk, and safety along the coastlines.

    According to the Virgin Islands Police Department and coverage from ABC News and Global News, one of the most recent and tragic attacks occurred at Dorsch Beach on St Croix in the United States Virgin Islands, where fifty six year old tourist Arlene Lillis from Minnesota was snorkeling in a marked swimming area when a shark severed her arm and she later died at the hospital. Officials say the species has not yet been identified, but note that only a handful of shark attacks have been recorded in the territory since the nineteen forties, underscoring how rare this event is.

    On the Pacific coast, the San Francisco Chronicle reports that triathlete and open water swimmer Erica Fox was confirmed by the Santa Cruz County coroner to have died from a shark attack in Monterey Bay near Lovers Point. She disappeared during a group swim, and witnesses described a large shark breaching near the swimmers before her body was later recovered miles away, with the coroner citing sharp and blunt force injuries consistent with a great white shark.

    These incidents add to a broader pattern documented by groups such as the Global Shark Attack File and university based shark research programs. Florida beaches, particularly along Volusia and Brevard counties, regularly record the highest number of encounters, most of them non fatal bites involving surfers and waders in murky, shallow water where small bait fish gather close to shore. Researchers consistently point to great whites, tiger sharks, and bull sharks as the primary species in serious bites worldwide, with blacktip sharks frequently involved in minor bites along the southeastern United States.

    In response, coastal communities are expanding safety measures. Local authorities in the Virgin Islands have stepped up marine patrols and are reviewing whether to add temporary swimming restrictions and more shark awareness signs near popular snorkel spots. Along the California coast, city governments and state parks now rely on networks of lifeguards, drones, and public alert systems that close beaches or restrict water access for twenty four hours or more after credible shark sightings. On busy Atlantic and Gulf beaches, lifeguards use colored flags, loudspeaker announcements, and social media alerts to warn of shark sightings, dense bait fish schools, or murky runoff that can increase the chance of an encounter, while education campaigns emphasize avoiding swimming at dawn or dusk, staying in groups, and keeping clear of active fishing.

    Taken together, these incidents and responses highlight a key insight repeated by marine biologists and public safety officials. Shark attacks remain statistically rare, but as more people enter coastal waters and warming oceans shift shark and prey distributions, communities are investing in better monitoring, faster communication, and clearer warnings so that residents and visitors can respect sharks, understand the risks, and still enjoy the sea.

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    3 mins
  • Sharks Terrorize California Coastline: Three Attacks in Two Weeks Spark Concern

    Sharks Terrorize California Coastline: Three Attacks in Two Weeks Spark Concern
    Jan 7 2026
    In late December 2025, California saw an unusual cluster of three shark incidents within two weeks along its central coastline, raising concerns among swimmers and surfers. Patch reports that on December 12, a surfer at North Salmon Creek in Sonoma County suffered a hand bite from a suspected great white shark, made it to shore, and later sought hospital treatment despite initially declining aid. That same day, rough eight to twelve foot waves capsized a nearby boat, though experts like Doctor Christopher Lowe from the Shark Lab at California State University Long Beach note storms do not typically drive such attacks, as white sharks often shift offshore temporarily before returning. Then, on December 21 off Pacific Grove in Monterey County, fifty five year old triathlete Erica Fox vanished during a group swim at Lovers Point Beach. Witnesses saw a shark breach with a human body in its jaws, according to the United States Coast Guard, and her body washed up near Davenport Beach in Santa Cruz County a week later, still wearing her shark band deterrent on her ankle, which Patch and Slowtwitch confirm proved ineffective against great whites. Beaches including Lovers Point, McAbee, and San Carlos stayed closed through December 23 as a precaution, per AOL reports. The next day, December 22, another surfer at Dillon Beach in Marin County felt a hard bump from a suspected great white about two hundred yards offshore, leaving a nose print on his board strong enough for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to collect a DNA sample. Doctor Lowe explains these hit and run encounters often stem from sharks mistaking boards for seals or reacting defensively, as great whites are ambush predators that stun prey from below.

    Experts emphasize no evidence links one shark to all events, but December aligns with peak presence of subadult and adult white sharks feeding on elephant seals. Patch cites Doctor Lowe stating California averages eight incidents yearly, with three injuries and rare fatalities, far below Florida's thirty nine or drowning risks, which claim thirty eight lives annually. Since nineteen fifty, only seventeen of two hundred thirty one West Coast cases proved fatal. Shark Stewards director David McGuire notes recovering white shark numbers signal a healthier ecosystem post overfishing. Insights urge swimming in groups, avoiding murky river mouths, seal haulouts, and dawn or dusk hours to cut mistaken identity risks.

    Public safety measures focus on awareness over panic. Doctor Lowe recommends electric field devices like Shark Shield as more reliable than magnetic bands, though odds remain low with millions in the water yearly. Meanwhile, beach closures persist, such as San Clemente's full ocean access shutdown at T Street Beach and all city waters until eight PM Monday due to aggressive shark behavior, as LAist details, keeping shorelines open but urging caution.

    Worldwide, Australia deploys drones spotting over one thousand sharks yearly off New South Wales, acoustic tags, smart drumlines, and apps like Shark Smart for real time alerts, per the Straits Times, alongside debated nets and bite resistant wetsuits reducing blood loss.

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    4 mins
  • Tragic Shark Attack Claims Open-Water Swimmer in Monterey Bay

    Tragic Shark Attack Claims Open-Water Swimmer in Monterey Bay
    Jan 3 2026
    In late December 2025, a suspected fatal shark attack occurred off Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, California, where 52-year-old open-water swimmer Erica Fox disappeared while swimming with her group, the Kelp Krawlers. Witnesses reported seeing a large shark breach the water with what appeared to be a human in its mouth about 100 yards offshore around noon on December 21, and her body was later recovered south of Davenport Beach with a shark-deterrent band still on her ankle. Phys.org and the Los Angeles Times detailed how this incident happened during peak feeding season for great white sharks in Monterey Bay, when the predators migrate from offshore to hunt seals and sea lions near rocky coastlines rich in prey. Tagged sharks were detected nearby by Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station buoy, though experts like marine biologist Chris Lowe from California State University Long Beach noted that white sharks rarely target humans, often mistaking them for prey in accidental encounters.

    This marked the second shark-related event at Lovers Point in three years, following a 2022 bite on fellow Kelp Krawler Steve Bruemmer, who suffered serious thigh and abdomen injuries. Northern California has seen a surge of incidents this winter, with three in the Red Triangle region in December alone, according to Active NorCal and Shark Stewards. On December 12, a surfer was bitten on the hand at Salmon Creek State Beach near Sonoma, and on December 22, another was knocked off their board at Dillon Beach, damaging it with a sizable gash, both likely involving great whites drawn to seal colonies in the foggy, prey-filled waters from Bodega Bay to Monterey. Shark Stewards reports 2025 as California's tenth shark encounter of the year, mostly white sharks, with swimming and surfing the riskiest activities in this ecosystem.

    Worldwide, shark bites dropped sharply in 2024 to just 47 unprovoked attacks, per ScienceDaily, though Australia saw fatalities like a great white severing both legs of surfer Mercury Psillakis at Long Reef Beach in September 2025 and a bull shark mauling swimmer Livia Mulheim at Kylies Beach in November, as listed in Wikipedia's database. In the United States, New Smyrna Beach in Florida remains the unofficial shark bite capital due to frequent blacktip encounters, but California incidents highlight seasonal patterns tied to pinniped migrations rather than aggression.

    Public safety measures include beach closures in Pacific Grove and Monterey post-incident, heightened patrols, and expert advice from Lowe to swim in groups, stay shallow, avoid dawn and dusk, and watch for seals. Authorities urge ocean users to heed warning signs and check local shark tracking apps amid reports of increased sightings.

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    3 mins
  • Deadly Sharks Terrorize US Coasts: 27 Attacks Reported in 2025, Florida Leads with 15 Incidents

    Deadly Sharks Terrorize US Coasts: 27 Attacks Reported in 2025, Florida Leads with 15 Incidents
    Dec 24 2025
    In 2025, the United States has seen 27 verified shark attack bites, with Florida leading at 15, followed by three in Hawaii, three in California, two in Texas, two in North Carolina, one in New York, and two in South Carolina, according to Tracking Sharks data as of December 22. No fatal attacks occurred in the US this year, though a suspected incident off California remains under investigation. Worldwide, there have been 67 shark attack bites, including 10 fatal ones, with Australia reporting 15 bites and five deaths.

    The most recent US incident unfolded on Sunday near Lovers Point Beach in Pacific Grove, California, where 55-year-old swimmer Erica Fox vanished during a weekly swim club outing around noon. Two witnesses independently reported seeing a shark breach the water with what appeared to be a human body in its mouth before submerging, as detailed by Fox News and USA Herald reports. Authorities, including the US Coast Guard and Pacific Grove Police, launched a 15-hour search covering 84 square nautical miles with boats and helicopters, but suspended it Monday due to no recoverable evidence. The Coast Guard classified it as a suspected shark encounter, possibly involving a great white shark, common in Monterey Bay's migratory corridors. In response, Lovers Point Beach, McAbee Beach, and San Carlos Beach closed through Tuesday, while advisories remain for Asilomar State Beach, Monterey Municipal Beach, Del Monte Beach, and Monterey State Beach.

    Florida's 15 bites highlight its beaches as hotspots, often hit-and-run attacks from mistaken identity by species like blacktip sharks. Hawaii saw three provoked bites, and rising great white sightings along Northeast beaches add to seasonal concerns as summer ends. Globally, Australia's five fatalities, concentrated in New South Wales and Queensland, involve bull and tiger sharks, underscoring their aggression in those waters.

    Emerging patterns show most US attacks as non-fatal and minor, with sharks favoring coastal areas during peak human activity. Public safety measures include beach closures, swim advisories urging groups, staying in shallow depths, and acclimating to cold water, as shared by a shark attack survivor. Officials emphasize swimming skills and surf awareness to minimize risks, noting drownings far outnumber bites.

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    3 mins
  • Sharks Sightings Surge, but Attacks Plunge in the U.S.

    Sharks Sightings Surge, but Attacks Plunge in the U.S.
    Dec 17 2025
    In 2025, the United States has seen only three unprovoked shark attacks so far, a sharp drop from last year, according to the International Shark Attack File and reports from AOL. The first happened in Florida, non-fatal and unprovoked, while the second was a provoked incident off Oahu in Hawaii, where a swimmer suffered arm lacerations from a Galapagos shark, as detailed by the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. The most recent struck off Long Island at Jones Beach State Park, where a 20-year-old woman wading in waist-deep water around 4 p.m. got minor leg injuries from what experts from the Department of Environmental Conservation identified as likely a juvenile sand tiger shark. Just days ago, on December 12, a surfer paddling 300 yards off North Salmon Creek in Sonoma County, California, was bitten on the hand by an unidentified shark, probably a white shark given the area's winter activity near Tomales Point and the Farallon Islands, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office reported to the Los Angeles Times. The man walked ashore on his own, treated his non-life-threatening wound, and drove to a hospital, with his board showing clear tooth punctures.

    Worldwide, Australia leads with nine attacks, three fatal, including surfer Lance Appleby pulled under near Streaky Bay in January and teen Charlize Zmuda killed at Woorim Beach in February, per AZ Animals summaries. A rare fatal attack hit Israel in April off Hadera, the first in the nation's history, captured on video. In the Caribbean, two Americans were bitten near Bimini Bay in the Bahamas on February 7, and a Canadian tourist injured by a six-foot shark at Providenciales in Turks and Caicos that same day. Other fatalities include a spearfisher in New Caledonia and a fisherman in Mexico.

    Shark sightings are ramping up in the US, with OCEARCH tracking great whites like the 14-foot Contender and 11-foot Dold off Florida in March, a 1,400-pound giant pinging near Amelia Island on December 10, and 1,009-pound Ernst off Naples and Marco Island. Great whites also appeared near Huntington Beach and Pismo Beach in California, and Montauk in New York. Marine biologists note sharks follow baitfish closer to shore due to warming waters and ocean patterns, not aggression toward humans, as sharks often mistake us for prey in exploratory bites.

    Beaches are responding with warnings and tech. California officials urge awareness of rare but real risks, with Sonoma posting alerts. Florida and Hawaii issue swim advisories after sightings. Australia invests heavily, like Queensland's 88 million dollar Shark Management Plan for 2025 to 2029, emphasizing daily-checked non-lethal drones, SMART drumlines for tagging and release, and education over nets that catch bycatch without proven bite reduction, according to Australian Geographic. Western Australia rebates personal repellents cutting risk by up to 60 percent and promotes bite-resistant wetsuits. No clear surge in aggressive shark behavior emerges, just more reports from better tracking and beach crowds.

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    4 mins
  • Shark Encounters Remain Rare Amid Growing Public Nuance Towards Marine Predators

    Shark Encounters Remain Rare Amid Growing Public Nuance Towards Marine Predators
    Dec 3 2025
    Good evening, this is your shark report for December 2025. We are coming to you with the latest information on shark activity affecting beaches and coastal communities across the United States and around the world.

    According to the International Shark Attack File, fewer than ninety shark attacks occurred worldwide throughout 2024, which represents a relatively low number when compared to other ocean-related incidents. To put this in perspective, there were thirty-two thousand seven hundred and seven road deaths during that same year according to the International Transport Forum. This statistic underscores that shark encounters remain comparatively rare despite the widespread public concern surrounding these incidents.

    In the United States, Florida continues to be the state most frequently affected by shark activity. Historically, the U.S. has recorded two thousand four hundred and seventy-three shark attacks since sixteen twenty-four, with Florida representing a significant portion of these incidents. The preference for sharks in this region relates to the warm ocean currents, abundant prey species, and high human population density in coastal areas.

    Recent developments in shark safety have emerged from communities dealing with increased shark encounters. In Australia, designers have been working to roll out shark bite kits on beaches to give the public tools and resources to respond to attacks more effectively. These emergency kits represent a proactive approach to beach safety and victim response protocols.

    Research published recently in Wildlife Research reveals important insights about public perception of sharks. A global survey polled three hundred and seventy-one people primarily from the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, asking them to describe sharks in just three words. The most common descriptors were teeth, ocean, and predator. However, nearly sixty-six percent of all responses were classified as neutral, suggesting that public attitudes toward sharks are more nuanced than media portrayals might suggest. While fear remained the most prevalent emotional response, approximately seventeen percent of respondents expressed joy, and many used positive descriptors such as majestic, beautiful, and fascinating.

    Experts emphasize that awareness and caution remain paramount for beachgoers, particularly during peak ocean activity seasons. Recognizing that perceived increases in shark attacks often stem from climate-driven shifts and changing ocean temperatures can help communities better understand and prepare for potential incidents.

    This has been your shark report for tonight. Thank you for tuning in and please remember to subscribe for more updates on marine wildlife and coastal safety information.

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    3 mins