A rare whale shark, measuring between 14 and 16 feet long, was spotted swimming in the Pacific Ocean roughly 300 miles off the California coast, between Santa Barbara Island and Malibu. The sighting, made on 9 September 2026 and filmed by commercial fisheries pilot Carl Sbarounis, is notable because whale sharks are seldom seen in the region, with Sbarounis noting he had not encountered one for three years prior to this encounter.

Whale sharks are the largest shark species in the world but pose no threat to humans, feeding instead on plankton, krill and sardines. Sbarounis attributed the appearance to unusually warm ocean conditions linked to a developing El Niño, which has also brought other tropical species such as manta rays and large bluefin tuna into Californian waters. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has put the chance of a historically strong El Niño this winter at 75%, with the World Meteorological Organization reporting sea surface temperatures in some regions already more than 35°F above average and underwater areas up to 46°F above normal.