A whale shark, one of the ocean's largest and rarest inhabitants, was recently spotted swimming in the Pacific Ocean approximately 300 miles off the coast of California. The sighting occurred on Wednesday between Santa Barbara Island and Malibu.
Carl Sbarounis, a commercial fisheries pilot, was in the area when his friend Ryder DeVoe alerted him to the unusual marine life. Sbarounis managed to capture video and photographs of the shark, which measured between 14 and 16 feet long. He noted the sighting on social media, expressing hope for more such encounters during the current El Niño conditions.
This marks the second whale shark Sbarounis has seen in three years. He told the Los Angeles Times that these sharks are more likely to appear when ocean waters are warm, particularly during El Niño events.
Whale sharks are the largest species of shark globally, yet they are harmless to humans. Their diet consists of small marine organisms such as plankton, krill, and sardines. These sharks typically inhabit tropical waters, commonly found off the coasts of Australia, Baja California, and in the Persian Gulf.
Along with the whale shark, Sbarounis also observed groups of uniquely colored manta rays, including spinetail devil rays. The presence of these tropical species and the whale shark in California's waters is attributed to the unusually warm ocean temperatures in the region. Other tropical marine life, such as 200 lb bluefin tuna, have also been increasingly sighted off the Northern California coast.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted a 75 percent chance of a historically strong El Niño developing this winter, which is expected to drive ocean temperatures even higher. The El Niño Southern Oscillation is a recurring climate pattern that alternates between warm El Niño and cool La Niña phases every two to seven years. During El Niño, weakening trade winds reduce the upwelling of cool deep ocean water, leading to a buildup of warm surface water along the west coast of South America. This phenomenon eventually spreads, raising global average temperatures and affecting weather patterns worldwide.
Recent data from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) indicates that sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, at the heart of the El Niño phenomenon, are already significantly above average and continue to rise. Some underwater regions have recorded temperatures as much as 46 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. The WMO forecasts that from September to November, above-normal temperatures are likely across most land areas globally.