La Jolla shark spotting forces lifeguards to close beach (VIDEO)
According to media reports Saturday, San Diego lifeguards ordered a stretch of beach in La Jolla closed Saturday afternoon after a confirmed sighting of an 8- to 10-foot hammerhead shark.
The closure, which was in effect at 1 p.m., will remain in place for at least 24 hours from La Jolla Cove to Scripps Pier, authorities said.
“What we’re going to do is evaluate tomorrow morning,” Lifeguard Lt. Andy Lerum said at a news briefing Saturday afternoon. “If there’s no other shark sighting by then, we’ll probably lift the closure and open it as an advisory for the full 24-hour period.”
A group of kayakers captured their heart-pounding close encounter with a hammerhead shark off the San Diego coast Saturday — a sighting that prompted lifeguards to close down crowded beaches nearby.
Their incredible video shows the 8- to 10-foot shark circling and swimming under the watercraft off La Jolla Shores. Stalking the kayakers, the hammerhead followed them back to the beach as they paddled away, according to San Diego Lifeguards.
According to NBC Sandiego, People swimming near the shark were able to climb onto other kayaks and get safely to shore.
“Hammerhead shark” by suneko – Flickr. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hammerhead_shark.jpg#/media/File:Hammerhead_shark.jpg
Swimmers and others who had come to the popular beach seeking relief from the oppressive heat quickly scrambled out of the water as lifeguards warned of possible danger.
No one was injured but the shark seemed to be acting aggressively toward a group of kayakers, authorities said.
The hammerhead was last seen on the south end of La Jolla Shores near Avenida De Playa.
Everone is crying the they overreacted by closing the beach, if the shark attacked somebody and the lifeguards knew about it and didn’t close the beach then everyone would be blaming them for not doing anything! Man nobody can do anything right here. Its better to be safe then sorry people!!!
the part where you hear the guy say ‘try to touch it’s dorsal fin’ just annoys the bejesus out of me.. yeah okay.. let’s pester the shark..then fall in..get bit..and blame it on the shark..uuugghhh.. people..
Total BS, I was out kayaking as this sighting/video recording was being done. Close the beach? Life guards going around scaring swimmers and snorkelers to get out of the water because a “large” shark was seen in the pacific ocean? WTF. Nothing like over reacting, causing the Coast Guard to waste precious resources by sending a helicopter out to sight see. These over paid life guards have WAY too much time on their hands, and exert way too much influence over people. Go back to saving dummys from rip currents.