California swimmer has very lucky escape after encounter with 'curious' great white shark
The terrifying incident took place Tuesday around 10.30am at Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego when a shark was spotted swimming offshore near Lifeguard Tower #5, park officials said.
Shortly after, an investigation determined the shark measured about seven to eight feet in length and swam away after its brief interaction with the unidentified swimmer.
Several warning signs were posted at beach access points near Towers #2, #5 and #7 after the sighting. The warnings remained in place for 24 hours.
Though it is not uncommon for the sea creatures to make their way back to the warm California beaches this time of year, it is 'rare' to see them 'bump' into people, Shark Lab director Chris Lowe told NBC San Diego.
'It's actually really rare for sharks to actually bump swimmers or surfers,' he explained.
'We have lots of sharks, and we have lots of people, usually in close proximity to each other all summer long, and the sharks tend to ignore people.'
Lowe believes the shark might have collided with the swimmer because it was startled or possibly just curious about them.
Jack Elstner, a PH.D. student at Scripps University of Oceanography, echoes Lowe's mention that this is the exact time of year sharks, specifically juveniles, come back to the shores of Southern California.
'Juvenile white sharks use near-shore beach environments as nursery habitats, and they like these areas because the waters are warm, which allows the sharks to grow quickly,' Elstner told ABC 10News.
'There's tons for them to eat, so there are lots of stingrays and little fish.'
When he heard about the size of the shark, Elstner said he immediately knew it was young.
'These sharks really like the warmer water temperatures, so when the water gets cold, they go south down to Baja a lot of the times, but when the water warms up in Southern California, we start to see them coming back to our beaches,' he added.
Although many fear sharks coming back to parts of the ocean for the summer, Elstner said it is actually a great sign that they return.
'A lot of people think that shark sightings can be scary, and of course these are large predators in the ocean that we have to respect, but also the presence of sharks in these habitats is a sign that the ecosystem is healthy and recovering,' he continued.
Lowe still advised beach-goers to remain cautious as the weather warms up, not just because of sharks, but also other sea animals.
'They're always out there,' he said. 'Go enjoy the beach, enjoy the water, know that these animals are out there. Remember that there are also stingrays out there, and stingrays hurt about 10,000 people a year in California.'
California State Parks shared the same reminder, telling DailyMail.com: 'California State Parks would like to remind visitors that sharks are an important part of the coastal ecosystem and that interactions between humans and sharks are rare along the Southern California coast.'
Shark season in San Diego hits a peak in July or August and can sometimes go into September. The season in general takes place April-November.
News of this sighting comes months after an enormous great white shark was seen stalking a popular Florida beach in January.
The 1,400-pound, 13-foot shark was detected prowling the waters off Florida's coastline as authorities warned beachgoers to be on the lookout for the fish.
The shark, nicknamed 'Breton,' surfaced an astonishing four times in a single day near Daytona Beach.
According to data from OSEARCH - a globally renowned nonprofit dedicated to marine research - Breton first pinged his presence days before, but it was the constant flurry of activity that set researchers and locals abuzz.
The shark's tag, a sophisticated tracking device affixed to his dorsal fin, indicated his movements every time he surfaced - providing a rare and chilling glimpse into the habits of these ocean predators.
Breton's fin was tagged during OSEARCH's 2020 Nova Scotia expedition with the hulking predator named after Cape Breton, where scientists first encountered him.
Over the past four-and-a-half years, Breton has become a legend among researchers, logging an astonishing 41,000 miles in his odyssey through the Atlantic.
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