Shark Sightings Lead to Closure at This Southern California Beach
Some popular beaches in Southern California were closed over the holiday weekend because of at least two confirmed shark sightings.
On Monday, officials in San Clemente closed water access to all beaches in the region because of “aggressive shark behavior.” It’s worth noting that the closures did not affect San Diego beaches.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the beach closure came one day after a shark knocked a surfer off their board. Officials gave the order to restrict water access after another man reported a dark object swimming toward him.
Officials said that the behavior was extremely unusual, since sharks typically avoid surfers or swimmers. One lifeguard said that the majority of shark sightings are “just sightings” with no signs of aggressive behavior, which can include a shark swimming toward a person.
At this point, it isn’t clear what kind of shark prompted the beach closures. Officials said they began drone flyovers to monitor the waters for shark activity.
Shark sightings in California are not uncommon, however. There are a myriad of different types of shark species that live off the coast, including great white sharks and even smaller leopard sharks that visitors can swim with.
It’s important to keep in mind that although shark sightings are relatively regular occurrence, shark attacks are must less common. In fact, there are fewer shark attacks each year in California than fatal lighting strikes.
All of that is to say that these shark sightings in California are no reason to avoid booking that San Diego beach vacation this year!
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Mike Peterson is a writer, editor, and strategist based in San Diego. When he’s not writing and editing the La Jolla news, you can often find him practicing yoga, rock climbing, or exploring the outdoors with his wife and dog.
