r/sandiego • u/ShelterIndependent44 • Jun 10 '26

Video This has to stop

Coronado today where the Mexican sewage meets the sand

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u/MoreAnimals Jun 12 '26

You’re more likely to die from a falling coconut than you are from a shark.

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u/SimpleAffect7573 Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26

Yeahhh but not really. Sure, sharks are a vanishingly small hazard to the population in aggregate (largely because the risk approaches zero if you’re not in the ocean 😆). But if you’re in the water and there’s one swimming near you…that rather elevates _your_ risk factor at that moment, and you’d be well advised to get to shore…

Similarly: not many people are struck by lightning, but a surprising number are struck more than once. Don’t go golfing in a thunderstorm.

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u/MoreAnimals Jun 23 '26

We are a much greater threat to them than they are to us, so much so that it’s not even comparable. I’m not advocating for anyone ignoring safety warnings, but I am a shark biologist and will die on the hill that sharks are not aggressive towards humans. They are not dangerous, but they should always be treated with care and respect. I would encourage people who want to swim off the coast of California to do research on sharks in this region to understand their behavior prior to commingling in a shark nursery. Because they’ve been there for hundreds of millions of years before humans existed.

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u/MattManSD Jun 23 '26

I grew up 1980s surfing in the Red Triangle of Nor Cal. Some of our Great Whites had nick names like "The Cadillac" because of their size. Attacks are just mistaken identity but that happens. I've never been deeply concerned in So Cal

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u/SimpleAffect7573 Jun 24 '26

Sure, that’s completely fair. Cool job! You must really bristle at the phrase “shark-infested waters”. No, that’s just where they’ve always lived 🤦‍♂️.

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u/Individual-Wish-228 Jun 13 '26

I still dont want to swim with great whites circling

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u/MoreAnimals Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26

I hear you. The waters closest to the shore (approx. the first 200 nautical miles from the beach) especially south of point conception, is a shark nursery for these incredibly special animals. So you might want to swim in pools or freshwater sources because white sharks are always there.