Great Whites Stay Close to Coasts

Ever feel like you're swimming with the sharks? You may be right. New research shows that great white sharks spend months each year near the central and northern California coastlines, passing close to populated beaches as they hunt elephant seals, sea lions, and other prey. The predators make such regular migrations between California and Hawaii that they are genetically different than their counterparts on the other side of the Pacific. That so many sharks live near humans "shows us the sharks are really minding their own business,” says one scientist. “The number of interactions with people is very small, considering."