(Newser)
– Baby sharks grow off the coast of California, researchers say – and when they hunt, they are more interested in stingrays than people. Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at Long Beach, California State University, said he has tagged 38 juvenile Great White Sharks so far this year, three times the normal year. Guardian Reports. Lowe, who uses drones, planes and underwater robots to monitor sharks and how they interact with people, says young sharks are spending a lot more time in coastal waters this year. He believes the trend is the result of a healthier ecosystem that provides more food for sharks – and delays the winter migration of sharks to Baja California, Mexico. He predicts that sharks could soon be all year round.
Law says this year has been unusual not only because of the number of sharks, but also because they were bypassing areas where they used frequently and gathering in new areas, including point conception near Santa Barbara. “This is what makes us think that these hot spot areas are nurseries. There is plenty of food and the water is hot,” says Lee. San Jose Wed News. Live, who works closely with guards, notes that the average number of shark attacks in California has remained stable at three or four in the year since 1950, although the state’s population has nearly tripled. “There are a lot of people in the water: you have paddle boards, kayaks, vestsuits, but the number of attacks hasn’t really changed,” he says. “He tells you people aren’t on the menu, they don’t hunt people here.” (Speaking of baby sharks …)
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