Suspected shark attack at Lovers Point occurred in time and place where large sharks come to feed

It’s peak bulking-up season for white sharks in Monterey Bay, and over the past week, two animals previously tagged by scientists passed through the waters near Lovers Point — the same area where swimmer Erica Fox vanished Sunday, after witnesses reported seeing a shark nearby, experts said.

Fox, the 55-year-old co-founder of recreational swim group Kelp Krawlers, was far ahead of more than a dozen swimmers returning to Lovers Point beach in Pacific Grove early Sunday afternoon, but never came ashore.

Marine biologist Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, said the rocky coastline near Lovers Point attracts sea lions, and seals also frequent the waters offshore. Both are primary prey for white sharks.

Large white sharks migrate from offshore in the Pacific to the coast in October to bulk up on seals and sea lions, typically remaining through January.

“They will hunt and they will patrol off these areas where these animals congregate,” Lowe said.

At around 12:15 p.m. Sunday, a driver at a stop sign on his way to work called 911 to report seeing a shark burst out of the water about 100 yards off Lovers Point with what he believed to be a human protruding from its mouth, U.S. Coast Guard petty officer Charlie Valor said Tuesday. The man said the shark re-entered the water and did not resurface, Valor added. Pacific Grove police Commander Brian Anderson said a second witness also reported seeing a shark breach the water in that area.

No remains have been recovered, nor has anyone reported finding any of the gear Fox was wearing while swimming, Anderson said.

A buoy operated offshore by Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station collects pings from tagged white sharks moving through the area. It recorded five sharks swimming within about 500 yards of Lovers Point this month, including two in the past week. But marine biologist Barbara Block, whose lab oversees the tracking project, said the tagged sharks represent only a fraction of the animals in the region, making it impossible to link a specific shark to Fox’s disappearance.

If Fox was taken by a white shark without leaving a trace, “that would need to be a big shark,” Lowe said.

Since 1950, sharks have killed 16 people in California, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. All were determined to be white sharks except in one case, in Point Reyes National Seashore in October 2023, where the species was not confirmed.

In the Monterey area, 13 people have been bitten by white sharks since 1950, resulting in two deaths, nine major injuries and two minor injuries. Most victims were divers or surfers; only two swimmers have been attacked.

Sunday’s disappearance marks the third shark-related incident at Lovers Point since June 2022, when another Kelp Krawler, Steve Bruemmer, was bitten and seriously injured while swimming. Two months later, a paddleboarder and his dog were thrown from their board but unhurt when a shark bit it from below.

Shark attacks generally fall into three categories — predatory, accidental and defensive — though the reason behind any specific incident is often unclear, Lowe said. The rarity of attacks suggests white sharks do not view humans as prey.

“We’re clearly not on the menu,” Lowe said. “Otherwise people would be bitten and eaten all the time.”

Some incidents may occur when sharks mistake humans for prey, Lowe said.

Experts cautioned that the ocean remains a wilderness, with both risks and rewards.

“You can get hurt,” Lowe said, but “the more you know, the safer you can be.”

Lovers Point, a rocky promontory along scenic Ocean View Boulevard with two small crescents of beach beside it, was featured as one of the state’s top swimming spots in the 2024 book Places We Swim California. The book described Lovers Point as especially popular among swimmers in winter.

“Cheerful regulars, dressed in neoprene caps and gloves, brave the icy water for their daily dopamine release,” the book by Australians Caroline Clements and Dillon Seitchik-Reardon said.

Clement in an email Tuesday noted that she and Seitchik-Reardon live in Sydney.

“Like in California we understand swimming comes with risks and sharks are out there in the water,” Clements said. “It’s so rare that someone gets bitten but it is a reality. Lovers Point is a beautiful spot loved by many, which is why we included it, and I hope this doesn’t deter people from swimming there.”

People entering near-shore waters should be mindful of the times of year and locations where white sharks are more common, and should pay attention to the presence of prey animals such as elephant seals, harbor seals and sea lions, Lowe said.

Swimming close to others can reduce risk, he said. “Your probability of being bitten is lower if you’re in a group.”

Remaining in shallower water may also lower the chance of an encounter, as white sharks typically attack from below. Deep water “gives the animal the ability to investigate something from below,” Lowe said.

Authorities on Monday afternoon suspended the search for Fox after about 15 hours of air and water operations involving the U.S. Coast Guard, Pacific Grove police, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office divers and Monterey firefighters.