Great White Shark Sighting off La Jolla Cove

A baby great white shark about 500 yards off the La Jolla Cove was sighted by two scuba divers on Thursday. Due to the shark’s distance from land, it was not considered a public threat. However, lifeguards issued a warning for all swimmers to take precaution.

According to the divers, the shark was roughly five feet long. The sighting was reported around 2 p.m., and the divers were about 30 feet under water north of a buoy in La Jolla Cove when they saw the shark. They claimed that the shark did not threaten them. Maurice Luque, a spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said that baby great white sharks are more interested in fish than humans.

Anne Cleveland, a regular cove swimmer who was in the water earlier that day said, “The beach was closed for a while as lifeguards patrolled the area on personal watercraft.” By about 3:45 p.m., lifeguards were allowing people to go back in the water, but there was still a warning in effect.

This hasn’t been the only shark sighting occurring in La Jolla. In August of 2010, there were two other great white shark sightings reported. Lifeguard Sgt. Rich Stropky explained how the sightings did not seem to change the amount of activity on the beach. He said, “Everyone that I spoke with … still wanted to go into the water. People realize there was a sighting and we cohabitate with them.” The advisory had been issued from La Jolla Cove to the Scripps Pier. This area attracts an abundance of kayakers, swimmers, scuba divers and surfers. It one of the most visited coastal zones in the San Diego region. Ralph Collier, president and founder of the Shark Research Committee, offered advice to swimmers to “respond to any type of premonition when in the water.”

So the big question is…Why do shark sightings keep appearing in this specific area?

Have you ever seen a shark?

Photo by Terry Goss via Wikimedia Commons