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Shark sightings are common each summer from coast to coast — and though attacks are rare, they do happen.
In August, shark activity begins to ramp up as they migrate and feed along the way, often bringing different species close to shore, according to experts.
Dr. Chris Lowe, professor of marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), confirmed there has been an increase in white shark activity so far this year.
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“We expect by August, September or October to see even more sharks off the Southern California coast,” he told Fox News Digital.
Wyatt Wernath, national spokesperson for the American Lifeguard Association and a retired ocean rescue chief based in Cocoa Beach, Florida, said they’ve seen typical numbers for this time of year, although there have been “a couple little nibbles” where people were “bit on the heels or the toes.”
For those swimming or surfing in the ocean, the experts shared the following six tips to avoid a dangerous shark encounter.
No. 1: Know before you go
Before visiting a new beach, experts advise locating lifeguards and checking for shark sightings, rip currents, jellyfish and other hazards.
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It’s important to recognize and understand the flag systems on the beach that can signal certain conditions, Wernath noted. Red flags typically indicate high hazard, yellow flags mean heed caution and green flags mean low hazard.
A purple or blue flag indicates the presence of marine life. Combination red and blue flags signal hazardous marine life, such as a shark or dangerous jellyfish.
“If you can prepare yourself by knowing before you go, you’re going to have a much safer and enjoyable vacation or trip to the open water where the sharks live,” Wernath said.
No. 2: Avoid other animal activity
Other suspicious animal activity in the water — such as fish, birds and even seals — could mean a shark is nearby.
“If you see the water percolating on the top, that’s the fish running from the predators,” Wernath said. “Don’t go in the water, get out of the water.”
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“If you see birds diving into the water, and they’re feeding kind of erratically, don’t go into the water.”
Lowe, who runs the California Shark Beach Safety Program, also recommends avoiding dead marine life that could attract sharks.
“If you’re out on your surfboard and a seal climbs on your board, that seal isn’t trying to bond with you. It’s probably trying to get out of the water because it knows there’s a big shark around,” he said.
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Avoid bait balls, which are dense schools of fish targeted by predators, Lowe advised. If one forms beneath your surfboard, move away to avoid an approaching shark.
No. 3: Don’t stray too far from shore
While some “toe nibblers” in Florida have been known to attack on the shoreline, deep-water predators pose a risk as well, the experts warned.
“They might occasionally bite a person, but we don’t really know why.”
California has about three shark bites per year and a fatality about every third year, according to Lowe — but numbers change as the population increases and more people seek out offshore recreation.
“When people start going out into the open ocean … they may be encountering shark species that haven’t been around people before,” he said. “And therefore, you’re a novelty.”
Ocean spear fishing and kayak fishing are examples of “risky” excursions that have gained popularity in the last few decades, Lowe noted.
“Not only do you have a bloody fish on the end of your spear, but you’re out around sharks that might not have been around people before,” he said. “So, we just don’t know how those sharks will react.”
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“If you’re kayak fishing, and you’ve got your legs in the water, and you’ve got a bloody fish, your leg could get mistaken by an excited shark trying to steal your fish.”
When diving or snorkeling, it’s important not to present yourself “as prey,” Wernath warned.
No. 4: Skip dawn and dusk swims; never swim alone
Dawn and dusk are peak feeding times for many sharks, increasing the risk of encounters.
Because sharks can mistake people for prey, Lowe recommends avoiding murky water and shiny jewelry that can mimic fish scales.
The chances of being bitten are statistically lower when swimming in a group than alone, Lowe said — and if trouble arises, others are there to help.
No. 5: React quickly
During a close encounter, it’s important to confirm that the animal is actually a shark, as dolphin and stingray fins can look similar in the water.
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Unlike dolphins and stingrays, which typically show a single fin before disappearing underwater, sharks often reveal both their dorsal and tail fins.
“Tail fins will be moving more in a sweeping motion,” Wernath said. “It won’t go under gradually like a submarine. It won’t arc like a dolphin in a rolling fashion.”
If a shark is identified, give it space and calmly exit the water.
“Don’t splash, don’t cause a commotion, which will attract the shark, but just get out,” Lowe said. “If you’re on a surfboard or a boogie board, try to pull yourself up onto it, and just don’t present yourself as prey.”
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“If you see the shark, always keep your eyes on it,” he advised. “Follow it, track it, let the shark know you see it, turn your body toward it.”
“If the shark comes closer, you can just slowly back up and keep watching it. If you lose track of it, the first place you should always look is behind you.”
A shark approaching from behind is usually trying to investigate without being noticed. Once it realizes it has been spotted, however, “most of the time, the gig is up,” Lowe said.
If it continues to approach, he recommends giving it “a good bop in the nose” to discourage it from coming closer.
“If the shark gets really close, I’m always an advocate of striking out at them. I think humans need to let sharks know that they’re not supposed to get close to us,” he added.
No. 6: Respect the species
Experts say the key to safely coexisting with sharks is respecting their habitat and behavior while avoiding actions that could make people appear to be prey.
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“They’re much more intelligent than we give them credit for,” Wernath said, noting that they carefully assess potential prey before attacking. “They’re hunters. They’re going to look around and make sure they can get to a prey without getting hurt.”
The biggest misconception about sharks is that if they’re nearby, they’re going to bite you, Lowe said, adding that research proves this “simply isn’t true.”
Although human and shark populations have grown thanks to conservation efforts, shark bites haven’t increased as expected.
“They might occasionally bite a person, but we don’t really know why,” Lowe went on. “We don’t know if they’re biting because they mistake us as food … [or] because they feel we’re a threat.”
“Based on our last six years of data using drones, we see white sharks around people pretty much every day, and they seem to largely ignore people,” he added. “What that clearly tells me is that humans are not on any shark’s menu.”
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