25 ft sharks off the Channel Islands

[TheLastWord]

"You're gonna need a bigger boat"

Pair of 25-foot basking sharks spotted off California coast

People on a cruise near the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California encountered a pair of basking sharks that were about 25 feet long. Basking sharks, which are generally not dangerous to humans, are listed as an endangered species and rarely seen up close like this.

news.yahoo.com

 

[RoadDukie]

Lived off the Calif coast during the 60's/70's with a great ocean vue..did a LOT of sailing too. Had no idea that there were Basking Sharks out there.

Saw a lot of blue sharks. Also didn't realize at the time that there were a lot of Blue Whales out there too.
Great story.

 

[wpod]

I would imagine the La Nina is warming up the water.

 

[stormgol]

it is a very placid shark species. it has the smallest brain relative to it's size of all the sharks.

 

[RoadDukie]

I would imagine the La Nina is warming up the water.

Aren't we in El Nino now?

 

[wpod]

Aren't we in El Nino now?

Yes we are that is why the ocean currents are warming the water.

 

[vavavroom]

---

"You're gonna need a bigger boat"

Pair of 25-foot basking sharks spotted off California coast

People on a cruise near the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California encountered a pair of basking sharks that were about 25 feet long. Basking sharks, which are generally not dangerous to humans, are listed as an endangered species and rarely seen up close like this.

news.yahoo.com

I already told @Shel_B about the bigger boat. I think he will brave the Red Triangle, which is teeming with great whites.

 

[Lubener]

I would imagine the La Nina is warming up the water.

You mean El Nino is warming up the water.

 

[thunderfog]

The direct effect of El Nino on warming ocean water is in the equatorial Pacific, not off SoCal. Linking El Nino to warming waters off California would contain a multitude of steps in between to make that conclusion (but still a possibility). That said, ocean water temperatures are just warmer to begin on the whole with as global temps increase.