Problems in Northern California towns Alert about sharks after an unusually high number of seals were bitten
People who go to the beach in Pacific Grove have been told to swim at their own risk because there have been a lot of shark sightings off the Monterey Bay beach town in the last week.
A group of volunteer docents told the city about a lot of harbor seals on the beach “with flesh wounds that align with shark activity.” On Monday, the Pacific Grove Police Department put the swim warning on Facebook. The group, which is part of the Bay Net program at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, shared a similar message the Friday before.
A docent with Bay Net named Kim Akeman said that this year there are a lot more shark bites on harbor seals than normal.
“Shark bites do occur this time of year, but they don’t usually pile up this quickly,” Akeman stated. “If I spot one and then nothing else, I don’t really worry about it too much. However, it worries me to see two, three, and especially if you’re seeing more than one in a single day.
Akeman reported that today was the discovery of a sixth bitten seal, following the discovery of five in the previous month. Thankfully, the seals are doing well since, according to Akeman, saltwater is a “great healer” of wounds. She did, however, note that it is impossible to determine if there are any more seals that were bitten and did not return to the shore.
The community was made aware of the increased shark activity by Bay Net’s harbor seal group due to the bitten seals, particularly since June was the second anniversary of a man being attacked and almost killed by a shark at nearby Lovers Point. Over the past few years, warmer seas have resulted in a dramatic increase in the population of great white sharks in and around Monterey Bay. According to Akeman, this phenomena will only get worse as a result of climate change.
“We see a bite at any time of the year because there are young sharks here pretty much year-round,” Akeman stated. “In the past, they would sort of come and depart at a specific time. That might happen at any moment, though.
It is advised by both Akeman and the Pacific Grove Police Department to exercise caution and never go swimming alone in the ocean close to Pacific Grove. Swimming is particularly risky at dawn or dusk, according to Akeman.
“People should be mindful of their surroundings and keep in mind that there is a lot of wildlife out there,” Akeman stated. Thus, if you plan to go outside, please use caution.