Huntington Beach Shuts Two-Mile Stretch After Great White Shark Sighting
Huntington Beach closed a two-mile stretch after a reported 10- to 12-foot great white shark was seen circling near Tower 16.
A reported 10- to 12-foot great white shark prompted officials to close part of Huntington Beach after it was seen circling near Tower 16. The temporary restriction covered a two-mile stretch of coastline, with lifeguards posting warnings and asking beachgoers to follow safety instructions. Officials said the area would remain closed until 3 m. Wednesday.
- The shark was reported near Tower 16 and described as circling, which local marine safety protocols classify as aggressive behavior.
- Officials closed the beach from Seapoint to the Huntington Beach Pier.
- The closure was set to end at 3 p.m. Wednesday, subject to official instructions.
What prompted the closure
The Huntington Beach Fire Department announced the
The Huntington Beach Fire Department announced the restriction Tuesday evening after receiving a report of a great white shark in the area. The animal was estimated to be 10 to 12 feet long. Officials said the reported circling behavior met the criteria for an aggressive response under Marine Safety procedures.
The closure covered roughly two miles of
The closure covered roughly two miles of coastline, from Seapoint to the Huntington Beach Pier. Marine Safety personnel put up warning signs and alerted people at the beach. Beachgoers were urged to obey posted notices and directions from lifeguards.
How officials define the reported behavior
The department’s description of the shark as aggressive referred to its reported circling behavior and the response protocols used by Marine Safety. The sighting prompted a precautionary beach closure; the report did not say that anyone was injured or bitten.
A summer of elevated shark sightings
The incident came amid an unusually active season for shark sightings in Southern California. Juvenile great whites had appeared earlier than usual, possibly in connection with a marine heat wave fueled by El Niño, according to the cited report.
Chris Lowe, a marine biology professor and director of California State University Long Beach’s Shark Lab, told The Inertia that sightings may be more likely, but encounters remain infrequent. He noted that white sharks are often present around people while bites remain rare. An increase in bites was possible, he said, but had not been reflected in the statistics at the time of his comments.