Overview
- A whale shark estimated at 14 to 16 feet was filmed about 30 miles off the coast between Malibu and Santa Barbara Island on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026.
- Commercial fisheries pilot Carl Sbarounis recorded the aerial video and photos after a friend first flagged the animal and also documented nearby schools of rays.
- Researchers point to a regional marine heat wave and NOAA forecasts that place roughly a 75 percent chance of a strong El Niño this winter as drivers that are pushing tropical species northward.
- Whale sharks are the largest fish but are filter feeders that eat plankton and small fish and are not considered a threat to people.
- The sighting is part of a wider pattern of tropical visitors this season, including large bluefin tuna and occasional hammerheads, with possible impacts for fisheries, boaters and coastal monitoring programs.