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This year’s sharky season is just beginning.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has recently predicted El Niño will intensify, hitting a moderate or strong level this fall. Currently, West Coast waters are seeing record-high temperatures, with experts predicting a change in sea creatures.
El Niño is when east-to-west winds slow or switch directions and warm water moves east toward the US instead of staying near Asia. Typically, this occurs irregularly every two to seven years and can last anywhere from nine to 12 months.
Several types are expected to pop up, like tiger sharks, bull sharks and hammerheads Andrea Izzotti – stock.adobe.comThe NOAA has forecasted a 63% chance of a “very strong” El Niño from November 2026 to January 2027 and believes this year’s “would rank among the largest El Niño events in the historical record.” However, it may not be a reason to panic.
“Every El Niño is not the same; each one is unique with its own imprint on our weather,” said Ken Graham, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS). “Advanced monitoring and an improved understanding of El Niño patterns allow the NWS to better predict and better prepare the public and our core partners for what is to come.”
Some predictions for this year: sharky waters — and not just great whites. Several types are expected to pop up, like tiger sharks, bull sharks and hammerheads. Professor Chris Lowe at California State University, Long Beach, said: “Juvenile great white sharks have largely abandoned San Diego’s former nursery, likely due to shifting prey and conditions; an expected El Niño could instead bring more unpredictable species.”
It’s not just a shark summer, though; many other species will see a shift into new waters, including mahi-mahi, bluefin tuna, and an influx of sea turtles and sea snakes. Douglas McCauley, director of the Benioff Ocean Initiative at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told USA Today he predicts other “weird tropical things” will be seen.
The “highly venomous,” yellow-bellied sea snake is just one of the odd species unknown to the California waters.
“Some of these kinds of interesting oddities that are never a part of California will become part of this temporarily tropical El Niño-heated California,” McCauley said.
“Highly venomous,” yellow-bellied sea snake is just one of the odd species unknown to California waters SuGak – stock.adobe.comWarming temperatures may also accelerate the toxic algae known as Pseudo-nitzschia — which produces domoic acid that can poison humans and wildlife. During an extreme marine heatwave known as “The Blob” back in 2015, West Coast crab and other shellfish fisheries were forced to close down.
Impacts of The Blob also left fewer squid along the California coast as the harmful algae increased. Because sharks and whales will likely see a shift toward the coast, it’s possible fisheries could see an abundance of tuna.
Other research suggests a higher number of whales to migrate as plankton — a food source certain species rely on — have decreased in deep waters and forced animals who need the source into waters closer to shore. Experts are predicting whales may end up getting closer to shore, as they tend to follow their food.
This means they may even become more likely to get entangled in fishing nets.
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