New Study Shows Just How Close Sharks Are to You in the Ocean

If anyone needed any extra encouragement to go swimming in the ocean this summer, new research shows just how frequently sharks are close to humans—without attacking them.

Researchers at Shark Lab, a biology unit of the California State University, Long Beach, recently published findings of a study in which they used drones to learn the habits of juvenile white sharks along the Southern California coastline, and how closely they swam to humans.

Over the course of about 1,500 drone flights spanning two years, the researchers found the greatest concentration of juvenile white sharks in two locations, southern Santa Barbara County and central San Diego County. In both spots, the sharks were observed swimming near humans on 97 percent of the days surveyed, and often within 50 yards of wave breaks. The sharks generally came closest to surfers and stand-up paddle boarders.

And yet, during the entire span of the study period, from January 2019 through March 2021, there was not a single shark bite reported in any of the 26 beaches surveyed.

"Most of the time water users didn’t even know the sharks were there, but we could easily see them from the air,” Patrick Rex, the grad student who led the study, told the Associated Press.

Chris Lowe, a marine biology professor and director of the Shark Lab, said the team was not expecting to see so many daily encounters with no incidents of bites.

"It’s not just about sharks, it’s about people,” Lowe said. “This study may change people’s perception of the risk sharks pose to people that share the ocean with them.”

But Shark Lab isn't the only organization working to change views on sharks. The Florida panhandle recently designed an interactive shark attack map with statistics and survival guides in an effort to quell misinformation about the often-demonized sea creatures.

Examining data from the past 30 years, there have been just 3,000 shark attacks with less than 300 fatalities—making it much more likely to be killed by lightning strike, firework accident, or flying commercial air. Users can likewise use the interactive map to learn about individual shark attack locations and view detailed information about the attack and species of shark.

"We believe that this educational shark attack statistics interactive will help the general public realize that shark attacks are incredibly rare and normally survivable," reads a statement about the project. "Based on the data, we should not fear the sharks—rather, we should protect them."