El Niño Could Bring Sharks to Beaches That Have Never Seen Them

A warming ocean-and the potential influence of El Niño-has put shark activity back into focus this summer, raising a familiar question: are more sharks being sighted, and should beachgoers be worried?

Recent headlines have added to that sense of concern. Australia has recorded its fourth fatal shark attack of 2026, matching the kind of total usually seen over an entire year, while divers recently captured rare underwater footage of a great white shark in the Mediterranean, where sightings are extremely uncommon.

Closer to home, a Navy base employee was critically injured in a shark attack in Florida on June 9, after being bitten while swimming near a marina at Naval Support Activity Panama City. The individual was taken to hospital in critical condition, though authorities have not yet confirmed the species involved.

Scientists say changing ocean conditions can play a role in where sharks appear-but the reality is more nuanced than a simple surge.

The El Niño Effect

Climate patterns like El Niño can warm ocean waters and reshape marine ecosystems, pushing both prey and predators into new areas. El Niño is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific. The warmer water associated with El Niño displaces colder water in the upper layer of the ocean causing an increase in sea surface height.

Chris Lowe, professor of marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, pointed to these shifting conditions as a factor that can influence where sharks are found.

"Oceanographers are predicting a very strong El Niño this year, and when that happens we do start to see sharks show up in places where we don’t see them before," Lowe told Newsweek.

"A lot of that is driven by water temperature. So as water temperatures increase, these sharks are moving to places where they find more comfortable conditions," he said.

As the water temperature increases, Lowe said that the California area can expect to see more species of shark usually reserved for much warmer waters, partly because warmer waters in their usual habitats push them into new environments. "During strong El Niño’s, like the one that’s being predicted, we get tiger sharks, bull sharks, whale sharks, manta rays and even hammerheads. We have all these species that we don’t normally get," he said.

John Chisholm, an adjunct scientist at the New England Aquarium, said broader climate shifts have also resulted in changes to species further north.

"We've seen spinner sharks and blacktip sharks, which are warm-water sharks, starting to show up up here. Every year more and more of them show up," Chisholm told Newsweek.

More Sightings-But Not Necessarily More Danger

Despite the headlines, global data suggests the overall risk remains low.

The Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File recorded 65 unprovoked shark bites worldwide in 2025, alongside 29 provoked incidents and 105 total reported interactions. That figure is broadly in line with recent averages, with researchers noting that year-to-year fluctuations are expected.

The United States recorded the highest number of cases with 25 unprovoked bites, followed by Australia with 21. Florida accounted for 11 incidents, the most of any U.S. state.

Most encounters were linked to everyday beach activity, including swimming and wading (46 percent) and surfing or board sports (32 percent), underscoring how often interactions happen in shared coastal spaces.

Chisholm said the number of shark-related incidents remains extremely low compared to the number of people entering the ocean.

"When you look at the amount of beachgoers in the ocean every day and the number of incidents, it shows the sharks aren't interested in people," he said.

He added that modern technology can amplify perception. "With cell phone technology, a lot of stuff is captured on camera and shared on social media, so it gets kind of blown out of proportion," he said.

Lowe echoed this, explaining that many people are already swimming harmoniously alongside sharks.

"Some of our most recent data in California shows that white sharks are around people all the time, people just don’t know they’re there," Lowe said. "Using drone footage we see sharks swimming right by people and not even changing their path. They’re completely ignoring people."

How to Stay Safe

Instead of alarm, scientists stress awareness.

Chisholm encourages beachgoers to be "shark smart"-meaning staying aware of surroundings, avoiding areas with visible prey like seals or large schools of fish, and not swimming alone.

"It's their home, you've just got to respect the fact that it's their home," he said.

He also encouraged people to report shark sightings, either using the Sharktivity app by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy or by reporting sightings to their local authority. This allows the correct people to be able to both provide warnings to beachgoers and contribute to research efforts.

While global headlines may suggest sharks are becoming more common, experts say what people are seeing is largely the result of seasonal patterns, shifting ecosystems and increased visibility.

Some species are appearing in new places, and environmental changes may continue to reshape where sharks are found.

Sightings may increase as summer progresses-but the risk to humans remains extremely low.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 5:00 AM.