The sighting of around 25 Great White Sharks near the shores of san clemente has come as a shock to swimmers and surfers who have been ordered by the coastguard to avoid the water. This happened on the morning of May 21st, and closure began after two more sharks came into view.
The lifeguards took immediate action by posting warning signs. Subsequently, the sheriff of the city went up in a helicopter and surveyed the area. It was observed that as many as 25 great whites had come very close to the Beach. Some of them were quite long, which justified declaring the water off limits.
What are the danger signs?
According to the Los Angeles Times, lifeguards take three things into account when deciding to ask people to clear the water. These parameters are the size of the sharks, their behavior, and whether any of the sharks have bitten anyone or anything. Usually such actions are taken based on the length of the sharks and the behavior exhibited. Once the parameters are met, the decision is usually made to shut down the beach.
In this particular area, sharks are sighted at least once a week near the beach, but the water was closed to people on only three occasions this year. The first incident was reported in April when a shark attacked a woman. This was followed by the observations made from the chopper by the Sheriff of Orange County, after which, people in the water were warned about the sighting of a large number of Great White sharks.
How to maintain safety
Nicolas Giugni, one of the coastal city’s marine safety officers, explained the frequency and concentration of these sightings as uncommon, but added that these will continue to take place. This is because their population is increasing, but attacks by Great White sharks are rare, as are deaths from shark bites.
In the opinion of Chris Lowe, head of the Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach, the increase in the number of sharks and their tendency to come near the beach is primarily due to the better quality of ocean water, coupled with higher water temperatures. It is unusual to see so many sharks at a time in one place -- likely due to the warmer water temperatures and global warming.
Sharks and humans have coexisted for a long time, and people come to the beach to relax. If they are haunted by the possibility of sharks in the water, it will certainly spoil the charm of an outing at the beach. There have been movies made on the subject, showing that a fear complex is very much there in humans because of the size of these marine creatures, and beach-goers certainly want to stay safe.
