There never used to be young great white sharks off the beaches of central California in the United States. But now, warmer waters are attracting them north, and they are dangerous to otters.
“The number of bites on sea otters has increased in this region drastically,” said Salvador Jorgensen, a marine ecologist.
Great white sharks roam the world’s seas, hunting seals and dolphins. But because they are warm-bodied, youngsters spend their time in warmer waters.
Until 10 years ago, that meant young sharks would only be found in southern California. But now, that is changing.
“As ocean temperatures have been warming, many species have been shifting further north,” Jorgensen said.
That’s what brings them into contact with sea otters. But otters aren’t the right food for sharks, who often bite and kill the otters without eating them.
But without otters, kelp will die and that affects many other ocean animals.
