Swimming With the Leopard Sharks By Adventurer Andre Navarro of Ocean Earth Green
Swimming With the Leopard Sharks
By Adventurer Andre Navarro of Ocean Earth Green
Most Southern Californians aren't even aware of this amazing place where you can swim along side such large and beautiful predators right off shore !
First off, the gorgeous Leopard Sharks or Triakis semifasciata which are a species of Houndshark, are in deed predators, but not of people. They are perfectly peaceful with humans and quickly swim away if approached. Leopard Sharks mainly feed on clams, spoon worms, crabs, shrimp, bony fish and fish eggs. There have been no reported Leopard Shark attacks on humans that have led to fatality nor injury.
However, When you see a Leopard Shark in person, you can't help to notice their large size and beautiful patterns that resemble an artist's rendition. The average length of a Leopard Shark is 4 to 5 feet. Females are larger than males and can grow up to 7 feet in length, 40 pounds and a lengthy 30 years old.
Every year starting in August / September, pregnant Leopard Sharks begin to congregate in the shallow sandy beach areas of La Jolla Shores, San Diego. Females follow the warmest patches of water, allowing them to raise their internal body temperatures by up to 5.4 F. They take advantage of the heat to speed up the growth of their gestating young.
Leopard Sharks are aplacental viviparous meaning their developing embryos are sustained by a yolk sac until birth. Females give live birth to as many as 37 young after a gestation period of 10 to 12 months. Leopard Shark young are relatively slow growing and take many years to mature. Young Leopard Sharks are common to see along the Palos Verdes Peninsula, resting at the bottom of kelp filled reefs. Leopard Sharks inhabit the Northeastern Pacific Ocean from temperate continental waters of Coos Bay, Oregon to the tropical waters of Mazatlan, Mexico.
If you are ever fortunate enough to swim by or observe Leopard Sharks near shore during summer, even though it's past our human Mother's Day celebration, know you are in the presence of an amazing and beautiful species of sharks, pregnant and preparing to give birth to the next generation of their pups.
The accompanying Youtube video is narrated first hand footage swimming with these pregnant Leopard Sharks during summer at La Jolla Shores, San Diego. Please Subscribe for future adventures !
Andre Navarro
I am Andre Navarro, Southern California adventurer and freediver. I was born in San Pedro California and grew up in Long Beach California where I graduated Millikan HS class of 93 and attended Long Beach City College for Art, Drawing and Painting. After obtaining an Associates Degree for Art and a semester away from transferring to Cal State Long Beach to continue in Art, I joined the LA County Sheriff's Department as a Custody Assistant (County Jail Guard). Approximately a year later I promoted to Sheriff Deputy where I worked custody and patrol assignments. After working law enforcement for roughly 9 years and having a son and daughter during this time, I came to the hard decision that long term this career was not for me. Shortly after ending the law enforcement chapter in my life, I began a new one in industrial machinery and conveyor belting distribution where I worked for 14 years in several positions including: fabrication and installation, purchasing, business development and sales management .
Recently in June of 2019, I left this position for another major direction change in my life. During my management years, I was sent to Mexico and the Ukraine to help recruit and train international employees. This is where I fell in love with traveling and experiencing different cultures. And this is also when I began freediving exotic locations on the weekends. I have always loved being in the ocean since a child and began bodyboarding young. Way later I began snorkeling on the downtime when there were no waves. This morphed into freediving which I do today. I also love to hike, camp and explore. In the last 3 years I began making videos of my explorations on land and now mostly in freediving. After leaving my last job of 14 years, I made the decision to spend approximately 1 year traveling, diving and making videos of my adventures while trying to figure out a possible way of making a living at this. I have realized there is an immediate and important need for ocean conservation and education while there is a major lack of understanding about our local coasts, ocean and it's life. Through my videos, my goal is to take everyone with me over land, air and into the ocean to experience all its beauty, life and importance.
Follow my ocean life adventures on:
Youtube.com/OceanEarthGreen
