Huntington beaches reopen after report of shark bumping surfer

Authorities reopened stretches of coast in Huntington Beach on Monday morning after officials received a “credible report” that a surfer was bumped by a shark on Sunday afternoon.

California state parks Capt. Kevin Pearsall said Huntington and Bolsa Chica state beaches were reopened at 6 a.m. Monday.

Huntington’s dog beach was reopened at 8:30 a.m., city Fire Department Lt. Claude Panis said.

Panis said a surfer was in the water Sunday morning near Tower 16 — on the southern end of Bolsa Chica State Beach — when the shark approached.

Parts of Bolsa Chica and Huntington state beaches were closed.

“[Shark bumpings] are becoming so common now that this is becoming normal protocol to go through,” Pearsall said.

Last summer, Huntington Beach fire officials closed water access for the first time after a 7-foot great white shark showed “aggressive behavior” and bumped a surfer, Panis said. The beach, however, stayed open.

A few months later, another shark sighting — this time a 10-foot shark that rushed a surfer — prompted closures at Bolsa Chica State Beach, Seal Beach and Sunset Beach.

Kate Mather of the Los Angeles Times contributed to this report.