In late December 2025, a suspected fatal shark attack occurred off Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, California, where 52-year-old open-water swimmer Erica Fox disappeared while swimming with her group, the Kelp Krawlers. Witnesses reported seeing a large shark breach the water with what appeared to be a human in its mouth about 100 yards offshore around noon on December 21, and her body was later recovered south of Davenport Beach with a shark-deterrent band still on her ankle. Phys.org and the Los Angeles Times detailed how this incident happened during peak feeding season for great white sharks in Monterey Bay, when the predators migrate from offshore to hunt seals and sea lions near rocky coastlines rich in prey. Tagged sharks were detected nearby by Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station buoy, though experts like marine biologist Chris Lowe from California State University Long Beach noted that white sharks rarely target humans, often mistaking them for prey in accidental encounters.This marked the second shark-related event at Lovers Point in three years, following a 2022 bite on fellow Kelp Krawler Steve Bruemmer, who suffered serious thigh and abdomen injuries. Northern California has seen a surge of incidents this winter, with three in the Red Triangle region in December alone, according to Active NorCal and Shark Stewards. On December 12, a surfer was bitten on the hand at Salmon Creek State Beach near Sonoma, and on December 22, another was knocked off their board at Dillon Beach, damaging it with a sizable gash, both likely involving great whites drawn to seal colonies in the foggy, prey-filled waters from Bodega Bay to Monterey. Shark Stewards reports 2025 as California's tenth shark encounter of the year, mostly white sharks, with swimming and surfing the riskiest activities in this ecosystem.Worldwide, shark bites dropped sharply in 2024 to just 47 unprovoked attacks, per ScienceDaily, though Australia saw fatalities like a great white severing both legs of surfer Mercury Psillakis at Long Reef Beach in September 2025 and a bull shark mauling swimmer Livia Mulheim at Kylies Beach in November, as listed in Wikipedia's database. In the United States, New Smyrna Beach in Florida remains the unofficial shark bite capital due to frequent blacktip encounters, but California incidents highlight seasonal patterns tied to pinniped migrations rather than aggression.Public safety measures include beach closures in Pacific Grove and Monterey post-incident, heightened patrols, and expert advice from Lowe to swim in groups, stay shallow, avoid dawn and dusk, and watch for seals. Authorities urge ocean users to heed warning signs and check local shark tracking apps amid reports of increased sightings.Thank you for tuning in, and please subscribe for more updates. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.For more http://www.quietplease.aiGet the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

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