Dangerous great white shark temporarily closes strip of popular California beach
FOX Weather • • sports
Key Points:
- A 9 to 10-foot great white shark was observed actively feeding near the shore at Sunset Beach, Huntington Beach, prompting a 48-hour closure of a one-mile stretch of ocean for public safety.
- The closure follows a recent suspension of the Vans Jack’s Surfboards Pro surf competition due to a similar-sized great white shark sighting in the same area.
- It is unclear if the shark spotted Wednesday is the same as the one that delayed the competition, but both are estimated to be juvenile great whites, around 10 feet in length.
- Great white sharks are common in California waters but shark attacks are rare; Orange County has recorded only 11 shark incidents since 1950 according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
- Huntington Beach, known as "Surf City USA," regularly sees shark presence, but the risk to swimmers and surfers increases when sharks are actively feeding on prey like sea lions.
