Surfing with “Hundreds of Sharks” in San Diego (Video)

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Apr 8, 2025 1:28 PM ET

It’s springtime in southern California, and while that might not mean the best season for surf, it is a time of change – the water is slowly warming up, swell energy is moving from the northern Pacific to the south, and scores of marine life are welcoming the shift in seasons…including sharks.

Southern California, as a whole, is a breeding ground for sharks, particularly juvenile great whites. That’s because, the babies like the warmer temperatures, the shallow waters, and the abundancy of their preferred foods, such as small fish and sting rays. And certain spots are heavier than others, when it comes to shark activity. But in recent years, parts of La Jolla Shores in San Diego have become nurseries to the juveniles, hosting literally hundreds of ‘em at a time.

And so, Ben Gravy and Jacob “Zeke” Szekely – always down for a surf stunt to feed the algorithm and their ever-popular YouTube channels – decided to paddle out amidst the shark frenzy.

“Hundreds of sharks?” Gravy questioned as the rolled up to the spot. Then, upon further investigation with the drone view from above, Gravy confirmed, perhaps exaggerating a tad: “Bro, that’s a thousand sharks. Oh my god, Zeke. We’re going to get bitten! There’s no way all those sharks are safe. We’re committed. We’re going into the shark pit.”

Zeke, a La Jolla native, added: “That’s the most sharks I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Despite the sheer volume of sharks, Zeke and Ben made it out unscathed. No nibbles, no love bites, nothing. In fact, even when they attempted to catch waves with the sharks, they weren’t interested. They lurked below for the most part, and slithered out of the way when anybody got close.

Ben added: “I talked to, like, 30 different people out in the water, and they said that’s the most sharks they’ve ever seen in one place in their entire life. Most I've ever seen for sure. Hundreds of sharks.”

And yet, no bites. That should say something.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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