Where to see Elasmobranchs in the Southern California Bight

If you are desperate to see Elasmobranchs and you live in Southern California there are a few options at your disposal. You don't even have to get wet for some of them.

Most likely the easiest suggestion would be to get in a car (or cycle) to your local Aquarium. Luckily near SIO we have the Birch Aquarium that has a very nice shark tank with local species such as Smoothhound Sharks and Soupfin Sharks. It also exhibits the widely known Leopard Sharks in their main kelp tank.

The Aquarium of the Pacific in Los Angeles is also a good bet for some elasmobranch action, in their Shark Lagoon, you'll see California's only Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) exhibit

If you are feeling adventurous, during the summer months many species can be seen off the coastline with just a Mask and Snorkel. Perhaps the most recognisable species you are likely to see is the Leopard Shark (Triakis semifasciata) and Horn Shark (Heterodontus francisci) both of these are perfectly harmless so don't worry.
Southern California is also known for its diving, your best bet to find out the top places to go would be to sign up to the mailing list Dive Bums, who are sure to point you in the right direction.

It has been possible in the past to visit a tour operator charged specifically with the task of finding elasmobranchs. These typically took place in two forms. Firstly the blue water encounter with Blue Sharks (Prionace glauca) and Mako Sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus). This is similar to the cage diving exhibits you are likely to experience in Australia or South Africa. The operator chums the water to attract sharks towards the boat. When they arrive divers are allowed into a cage to view under water. Adventurous divers were allowed to hang from lines suspended from the hull accompanied by staff divers that were supposed to deter unwanted attention.

Sadly these days this industry is a shadow of its former glory in the 80’s and 90’s. The populations of these fish that are largely oceanic in nature have fallen foul of increasingly intense fishing pressure, in and outside of US jurisdiction. This is a mistake that perhaps we can still correct in the future if a concerted effort is made to lobby for the protection of the remaining population. This has meant that these specific shark diving industries are all but gone.

The second method involves diving around the shore. Some of the better areas in Southern California include Catalina Island and the La Jolla Canyon. You are likely to see a few species of shark from Horn (Heterodontus francisci) and Leopard Sharks (Triakis semifasciata) to occasionally Angel Sharks (Squatina californica) and Sevengill Sharks (Notorynchus cepedianus).

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Sub-Phylum: Vertebrata

Class: Chondrichthyes