MBNMS Blue Minute

If you surf, dive or recreate in Monterey Bay, you may be sharing the water with one of the most majestic apex predators in the world, the White Shark.  The sanctuary is an extremely important destination  for White Sharks, also called great whites. Each fall, adult White Sharks migrate here to feed on marine mammals.  But don't worry, the chances of a shark encounter are extremely low. The odds of being attacked by a shark in the United States are around 1 in 11.5 million!  Adult White Sharks off California spend the winter in an area known as the White Shark Cafe located halfway between Hawaii and Baja. There is not much known about why they migrate there or what they do there, but researchers are tagging White Sharks to learn more. The increasing number of these sharks is a great sign that California has a healthy marine ecosystem and that protections in place are working.  The ocean takes care of us, let's return the favor.