“Sharktober” returning to the North Coast

“Sharktober” is upon us. That’s when sharks start a migration from Hawaii to the Bay Area.

Great white sharks begin to travel to Northwest waters around fall. In Humboldt County, an encounter may be rare.

“it’s likely that some stay year-round, but for the most part, sharks make this migration offshore,” graduate student Rose Harman said. “Specifically great white sharks to the middle of the pacific ocean between Hawaii and California.”

While it is not specifically why the great whites migrate, biologists say it could be due to feeding or mating.

“based on the studies that have been done, we think that great white sharks are more abundant between august and november because that aligns with seal pupping, specifically elephant seal pupping.”

Sighting of great whites in these waters are rare. But last year, a surfer at Centerville Beach was bitten while surfing.

They survived the attack. This could make some fear the open water during this time.

According to Harman, there have only been 200 shark attacks since 1950, averaging at approximately two attacks per year in the past 73 years.

“But I think it’s good to have a healthy fear of – not exactly a fear – but just knowledge that they’re out there, they live there and that’s their home. Just like if you’re going hiking in the woods and you know that there’s black bears out there or cougars those attacks are also very rare.”

Humboldt has its own shark, the leopard shark, swimming in the waters of the north coast, making it their home for their “litter” of pups.

“leopard sharks usually gestate for a about fifteen months and they can have nine to twelve pups. They’ll come into the bay during the warmer months and then in the colder – in the winter time, they’ll migrate offshore, but they still stay local.”

Harman continues to study these local sharks at sea alongside local bat rays.