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Record number of sharks off Southern California. Instead of migrating, they’re ‘sticking around’

An aerial view shows a shark swimming near a boat as two people lean out to tag it.
The Shark Lab team from Cal State Long Beach tags a juvenile white shark with a transponder for research purposes near Carpinteria.
(Patrick Rex / Shark Lab / Cal State Long Beach)
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There are more sharks in the ocean off Southern California than ever before, according to marine researchers.

The Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach, tagged 38 sharks, which is more than triple the number tagged last year, KCAL-TV reported Friday.

“This was a big year,” said Chris Lowe, Shark Lab director. “So, even with COVID, we tagged more sharks this year than we have any other year.”

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Lowe tweeted about the findings and shared drone video of great white shark pups and juveniles swimming along beaches from San Diego to Santa Barbara.

The shark clusters were larger and remained in the coastal waters longer than in past years, Lowe said.

“This year there were just more sharks around,” he said. “And the question is why.”

Lowe sent fewer staff members to tag sharks this year because of social distancing and limited lab time and said he was amazed they found so many.

“Normally in our fall, when our water temperature gets to the low 60s, that seems to be a cue that drives them to migrate south to Baja,” Lowe said. “And so far, here we are mid-October, and the sharks are still sticking around. Maybe 2020 is going to be a year-round shark season.”

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