8-foot hammerhead shark sighting closes waters off Newport Beach
Swimming and surfing was halted Monday off Newport Beach after an 8-foot hammerhead shark was spotted near the pier.
The hammerhead shark was seen about 11 a.m. in the water near the end of the pier, said Jennifer Manzella, a spokeswoman for the Newport Beach Fire Department.
Although the shark was not aggressive, lifeguards decided to clear the water and beach.
The beach will be closed a mile in each direction from 10th Street to 40th Street until Tuesday morning, she said. Lifeguards will monitor the ocean throughout the day. Signs were posted warning surfers and swimmers of the shark sighting.
This is the second hammerhead shark sighting in Southern California in a month.
In September, a hammerhead bit a fisherman’s line off the pier in Malibu. The shark broke away but was caught by another fisherman’s line minutes later.
Dozens of hammerhead sharks have been spotted over the past two summers off the coast of Southern California.
Marine biologists say the uptick in hammerhead sightings could be attributed to El Niño, which is drawing the predators’ food sources farther north than normal.
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