Four Sharks Observed ‘Circling’ Swimmers Off Manhattan Beach Pier
Four white sharks were observed “circling” swimmers off Los Angeles County’s Manhattan Beach pier Sunday morning, the same spot where a man was attacked earlier in the summer.
The sharks were believed to be juvenile great whites, according to The Huffington Post. No attacks were reported, and the predators were monitored by lifeguards for 30 minutes while they remained in the area. The Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Lifeguard Division reported that the sharks were sighted around 10:30 Sunday morning.
At 10:30am the @LACoLifeguards in Manhattan beach received reports of 4 juvenile white sharks off the coast of the Manhattan Beach Pier.
— LA County Lifeguards (@LACoLifeguards) August 24, 2014
The reports came in from helicopters above the finish of the @CatalinaClassic Paddleboard Race including a helicopter from @LAPDairsupport — LA County Lifeguards (@LACoLifeguards) August 24, 2014
The juvenile white sharks were monitored by @LACoLifeguards for 30 minutes until they were observed to move offshore.
— LA County Lifeguards (@LACoLifeguards) August 24, 2014
According to KTLA, the sharks were observed circling swimmers, though that could not be confirmed by Lifeguard Kylie Daniels, who spoke to CBS Los Angeles. Daniels said that the beach was not cleared of swimmers due to protocol. Beachgoers are only told to leave the water when sharks are over eight feet in length and acting aggressively.
Sharks spotted off coast of Manhattan Beach, @kareennews reports http://t.co/mlqa6M9lsu pic.twitter.com/xgfoDW8ui9
— KTLA (@KTLA) August 15, 2014
Shark sightings are common near Manhattan Beach, and the four great whites are hardly the first to appear this summer. As The Inquisitr previously reported, a swimmer was attacked in early July by a white shark just off the pier. The animal involved in that attack was agitated after it was hooked by a fisherman, who fought with it for 40 minutes before the animal bit Steven Robles, 50. The city implemented a fishing ban on the pier two days after Robles was attacked, lasting for 60 days.
In mid-august, another white shark was spotted off Manhattan Beach, and was investigated by lifeguards using a personal watercraft, as well as a Baywatch Redondo rescue boat. They confirmed the shark to be a seven-foot-long juvenile great white, and observed it for 45 minutes. The shark did not act aggressively, and was not deemed a threat to the public.
It’s very common to see juvenile white sharks off the Southern CA coast. The juvenile sharks we have observed have been very docile.
— LA County Lifeguards (@LACoLifeguards) August 14, 2014
A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department helicopter last spotted the juvenile white sharks leaving Manhattan Beach, heading south.
[Image via KTVU]
