Yes, there has been an increase in shark sightings along the California coast of late, possibly due to the coming El Niño, as the Chron recently reported — marine wildlife anomalies tend to happen, as legend has it, in the years when a particularly strong El Niño is on its way.

But, it's extremely rare for shark attacks to result in death around these parts. As the Chronicle explains, the solitary fatality out of 100 years of shark attacks occurred at Baker Beach in 1959. You can read the story of 18-year-old Albert Kogler Jr. here, and how his friend Shirley O'Neill tried to save him, and towed him 20 minutes to shore.

The interactive map above will show you all the incidents and dates if you click on them, many of them involving sea kayakers and surfers.