In California, 13 great whites were spotted feeding off the coast of a very popular beach. According to dbTechno , a Huntington Beach police helicopter was flying over the waters near Sunset Beach when over a dozen sharks were found. The sharks were said to be about six to 10 feet in length, suggesting that they were juveniles.
No one was in the water at the time police saw the 13 sharks.
Police helicopter sees 13 Great Whites in Huntington Beach Tuesday. Full story HERE http://t.co/96eF1cDF5U #SurfNews pic.twitter.com/CvuJhDG81j
— Surfline (@surfline) May 21, 2015
At this time, beach-goers have not been given any warnings in regard to the unsafe waters caused by this group of sharks, but that could change. Warnings had been issued just last month in the area after six sharks were seen too close to shore. It is unknown if these may have been some of the same sharks.
“The lifeguard unit has received other reports of shark sightings in recent weeks. At least six young sharks were seen near Seal Beach and Huntington Beach on May 11. Officials issued warnings in April after two sharks were seen near paddleboarders at Surfside Beach.”
The 13 great whites spotted in Huntington Beach were less than 50 feet from the shore. According to the SpreadIt , the area is rich with elephant seals , which is a favorite meal of the great white. Generally, these sharks attack from under their prey, soaring up through the water and attacking. They will usually carry their catch into the water fairly deep, and that’s when the seals usually give up the fight.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr , the sharks were seen around 6 p.m. , which would normally be a time for waters to be filled with people. The area is generally filled with paddleboarders and surfers, but recent shark sightings have deterred some people from jumping in.
“Earlier this year, the sharks made headlines when they moved unusually close to beaches, at times swimming alongside surfers. Though it isn’t known for certain what has caused this behavior, some researchers have asserted that warmer pockets of water have lured the young great whites closer than usual to populated shores,” reports the Inquisitr .
The 13 great whites spotted this week may have found some warm water and a great place to feed. It is unknown if people have been swimming since the sighting, but everyone is on the lookout for fins and are forced to stay alert when entering shark-infested waters.
[Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images]
