Shark Encounters

August 24, 2023

Question: What is the likelihood of encountering a shark in the ocean in California?

Answer: At CDFW we like to reinforce the idea that the ocean is a wilderness. Just as when you go into a forest and may encounter a bear or mountain lion, when you go into the ocean you may encounter a shark. However, the chance of an incident with a shark is extremely low — as evidenced by the very low number of documented incidents in California. With tens of thousands of people in the water at California beaches each year, there have been slightly more than 200 incidents since 1950 ( https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=36546&inline ) where any species of shark approached and touched a person in the water or on a board or kayak. Among documented incidents since 1950, slightly more than 100 involved injuries to humans. Of those, 15 were fatal. There have been no documented shark incidents in 2023 as of mid-August. CDFW maintains a shark incident database ( https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/White-Shark#data ) and has a role in several aspects of shark management including tracking landings of white sharks taken incidentally in commercial fisheries.

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