Leopard Sharks

I was surfing Salt Creek two weeks ago and was startled by a large gathering of sharks inside the surf line. There had to be 100's. They were easily identifiable with their gray color and black spots. Nonetheless, that swaying motion and being surprised by something I did not expect to see, really made my heart jump. Yes, it freaked me out.

I wanted to do some research on them just to see if this was normal. It turns out that Leopard Sharks are often found in bays with lots of sand. They are found from Mazatlan in tropical Mainland Mexico all the way up to frigid waters in Oregon. In the fall, I have learned they congregate in large numbers in San Francisco area bays as well as Monterrey Bay.

Food for leopard sharks consists of bait fish, squid and crab. When it finds itself on the wrong side of the food chain it is said to be good eating and similar in taste to salmon. Mother's have live births from 4 to 29 pups per litter and they grow to as big as 7feet and 70 pounds.

While this creature is widely believed to be docile and a bit skittish in the presence of divers and recreational water users, that sharky swaying motion is enough to scare anyone. While much of the coast has water color where visibility would not allow you to see our friends beneath the water, Salt Creek has clear water and provides an opportunity to view amazing creatures. My only hope is that where there are leopars sharks there aren't the toothy cousin called The Great White Shark!