A Huntington Beach great white shark sighting, with the animal reported at 10 to 12 feet (3 to 3.7 meters) long, led officials to close a stretch of California coast on Tuesday, Oct. 13, according to the Huntington Beach Fire Department, as relayed by the Orange County Register.
The shark was spotted near Lifeguard Tower 16 and was reportedly circling. Huntington Beach Marine Safety identifies that behavior as “aggressive,” the Register reported.
The closure covers about one mile (1.6 kilometers) north and south of Tower 16, running from Seapoint to the Huntington Beach Pier. It is set to stay in place until 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, the fire department said, according to MyNewsLA.com.
Authorities are asking beachgoers to follow posted signage and lifeguard instructions.
The Register noted that this is not the only shark news on the Southern California coast this year. Hammerhead sharks were sighted in Laguna Beach and Malibu in August, and the sightings are suspected to be linked to warm ocean water from El Niño conditions.
White sharks are a familiar presence along the California coast. Sharkophile has previously covered a study reporting a large increase in great white shark numbers in Monterey Bay.
The closure is scheduled to remain in effect until 3 p.m. today.
Source: Orange County Register, MyNewsLA.com
