The wanderer
Blue sharks cross whole oceans, following squid and small fish along temperature fronts, and tagged animals have travelled from New England to Brazil and from California across the Pacific. They are slender and long-finned, built for efficient distance rather than speed, and approach boats and divers readily.
Off California they assemble over deep water beyond the Channel Islands from late spring through fall. In the blue-water encounters they come close enough to touch the dome port, which is what the frames below record.
Status
Blue sharks are the single most caught shark in the world, taken by the tens of millions each year as bycatch on tuna and swordfish longlines and for their fins. Large litters have so far kept the species at Near Threatened rather than worse.
A longer guide to this species, with what it means for Southern California, is on My Clean Ocean →
