Southern California already has plenty ofwhite sharksinhabiting its waters, but a brewingEl Niñomay only increase the population of these large predators — and bring with it other aquatic visitors.
Chris Lowe, a professor of marine biology who heads the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, shared an unusual observation this winter: the presence of baby white sharks as early as February. He said they're generally not seen until April.
"The reason for that, we think, is the water off Southern California is unusually warm right now," Lowe said. "So, we're experiencing a marine heat wave, even though it's not even summer yet."
Female white sharks are believed to be using temperature as a cue to let them know it's time to give birth, he said.
"It could be that if a female's eating really well and she's been in warm water, she may be able to produce a litter of pups faster," Lowe said. "But what's unusual is seeing pups that early in the year. So that would suggest that females are coming back earlier than they normally would."
Also, their litter is hanging out at Southern California beaches in part because of the warmer water which "kind of reminds them of mom," the Shark Lab director said.
Now take into consideration that forecasters expect an El Niño — a phase of a natural climate phenomenon that warms up the ocean surface in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean — to develop late this year. It's one thatcould be strong.
Scientists have discovered more than 900 species of sharks and rays and related species
That could impact white sharks, too.
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As El Niño conditions emerge around the summertime, per the Climate Prediction Center'sforecast in March, so might Southern Californians start to see more white sharks come our way.
The Shark Lab director pointed to an observation from about a decade ago when an El Niño coincided witha major marine heatwave, resulting in Southern California experiencing a big influx of white sharks that'd been driven north by ocean water believed to have gotten too warm for them further south.
This is what Lowe anticipates happening again this year. His prediction is that around July is when we'll see a bigger influx of sharks.
However, Southern California could get some other visitors, too, Lowe said, pointing to other instances that occurred during "strong" El Niños.
"During El Niños, we've had tiger sharks come into Southern California. We've had bull sharks come into Southern California," Lowe said. "So, depending on how warm and how early, we could have species that we don't normally see here."
On March 26, Newport Beach Fire Department lifeguards confirmed the sighting of a white shark. Also making headlines early April arereportsof a juvenile white shark that got caught on a fishing line at Hermosa Beach.
"You should always assume there are white sharks in the water when you go to the beaches in California because that's the new norm," Lowe said. "And it's been the new norm for about the last 10 years. The population is increasing, mainly because they were protected (in) 1994. So, as a result, we're seeing more sharks, but also climate plays into this."
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her atpbarraza@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:SoCal beachgoers, you may see more sharks in 2026