Another ‘Aggressive’ 10ft Great White Shark Triggers 48-Hour Huntington Beach Closure

The warning reads:

“This morning, around 10:00 a.m., lifeguards observed a 9–10 ft great white shark actively feeding on a sea lion carcass in the surf line at Sunset Beach. The shark was exhibiting aggressive behavior near shore.

“In addition to the inherent danger posed by a great white shark in the area, the risk increases when they are actively feeding on large food sources.

“For public safety, the water is closed for 48 hours within one mile in each direction at North Pacific Avenue and 12th street (Sunset Beach Tower 12).

“We ask that all beachgoers check in with lifeguards and follow posted signs during the closure.”

The most recent shark encounter comes hot off the heels of another, in a similar zone, which sparked the halt to a surf contest. The Vans Jack’s Surfboards Pro, a qualifying series 4,000 event from the World Surf League was underway at the southside of Huntington Beach last Thursday, when another “aggressive” 10ft shark, which led to a temporary shutdown.

“We started seeing baby white sharks about four-and-a-half feet long about a month ago, which is really early,” said Dr. Chris Lowe of the Shark Lab. “Now the simple explanation for that is the water is really warm right now, unusually warm for this time of year. So based on that, we predict it’s going to be a very sharky summer.”