Warm water, the sea off California turns 'white shark park'

Scientists suspect warming temperatures may explain the presence of white sharks in Monterey Bay, California.

A group of great white sharks came to reside along the Central California coast, captivating seafarers, residents, local media and scientists.

Marine biologists are exploring why sharks - the world's largest predatory fish - venture to Monterey Bay of California.

Adult white sharks often inhabit warm waters in Southern California, near the US-Mexico border. But this fish is increasingly wandering north over the past few years, leading to their frequent occurrence in Monterey Bay since 2014.

Sharks roam more and more north in the past few years and often appear in Monterey Bay since 2014. (Photo: Santa Cruz Whale Watching and Stagnaro Charter Boats).

Scientists suspect that the warming of the ocean may play a role in the surprising shift of sharks.

"White sharks are heat-resistant species - they have warmer internal temperatures, making them more like mammals than fish. Especially when newly born, they must be within a range of temperatures that are not too hot, "Not too cold," said Sal Jorgensen, senior researcher on white shark in the Pacific at Monterey Bay Aquarium, speaking to Guardian.

Together with researchers at local universities, Jorgensen is tagging and tracking white sharks, to better understand how these large, ancient marine predators deal with climate change. .

He said that ocean temperatures warmed - due to the climate crisis - may have attracted sharks to areas that were too cold to live comfortably.

The group of young sharks migrating to Monterey Bay caused some warnings. The local media sent reporters to the helicopter to record their images. Tourist boat companies start offering trips to watch sharks.

Experts say the group poses little danger to people. Mature white sharks, up to 6 meters long, are the top predators that hunt marine mammals like sea lions and seals. Younger half smaller, eat only fish and small squid.

Many of the safeguards issued in the mid-1990s in California helped the local white shark population thrive, although scientists are still studying the exact size and trend of individuals.

A 2011 study estimates that 219 adult white sharks live off the coast of Central California. This species is classified as a vulnerable group in the Red List of the International Union for Nature Protection (IUCN).

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