California’s top shark tracker has a message for swimmers as great whites multiply: ‘They’re only there for one reason’

A surge in shark sightings has terrified Southern California beach-goers this summer, but a legendary shark tracker says swimmers can breathe easy. The idea that local beaches are suddenly infested with bloodthirsty man-eating great whites is total “garbage,” according to veteran shark tracer Keith Poe, who has logged more than 33 years tracking one of the ocean’s deadliest apex predators. A series of jaw-dropping shark sightings off the coast, including a great white leaping directly out of the water behind and unsuspecting surfer, has people on high-alert. While frantic tourists and locals might think 2026 is turning into a real-life Jaws movie along the Golden State coast, Poe told The Post the dramatic uptick in sightings comes down to basic science. Instagram/@sharktagger When coastal