Welcome to the Neighborhood
I got lucky. I was ready to move. I found a place exactly 100 yards from the Pacific on the northern coast of California. On October 1st, move-in day, I could hear the unmistakable thrum of the orange coast guard helicopter rotor. I couldn't see it - it must be low, I thought to myself.
I found out several hours later they were searching for a missing swimmer. That the Coast Guard's continued use of the term 'reported' shark attack was directly related to the very unusual detail that there was no trace of the man left behind; nothing to verify the circumstances. But we all knew.
Felix Louis N'jai, an experienced local waterman, accepted the risk that morning and paid the ultimate price. That the world would be a better place if Felix was still here beyond any doubt, but I'd guess that he lived a more fulfilling life in his 52 years on this planet than 99% of us.
Like so many cold coastal environments, the northern coast of California offers a range of exploration and adventure directly related to its risk profile. Folks who live, work or simply explore this coastline openly accept the elevated risks for an elevated experience.
I spoke with a great white shark researcher about how to mitigate the risk associated with sharks in this area:
When is the unofficial shark season in NorCal? When is it riskiest?
September until about the end of December…
Are there specific locations where you would simply never get in the water? (NorCal)
Near seal and sea lion colonies, but specifically elephant seal colonies I would avoid proximity. Elephant seal colonies are well-established, and typically do not move. Any Google search would tell you where they exist on the California coast.
Are sharks drawn to different colors? For instance, will a shark react differently to an orange wetsuit versus a black wetsuit?
Debatable… Bright colors might be just as attractive as a dark silhouette floating on the surface.
Do shark deterrents, like Sharkbanz work? Are they species specific?
Purely my opinion… doubt it.... but most likely, if a Great White or big pelagic shark wants you bad enough, nothing will deter it
What’s the biggest misconception people have about great white sharks?
That they are only solitary… that they are default, aggressive.
For additional information on this specific shark encounter check out this article on Surfer.com.
