A shark sighting led to the closure of a section of Huntington Beach on Wednesday. The shark, identified as a great white, was seen jumping out of the water near Tower 26 at 8:10 a.m. The shark, estimated to be six to seven feet long, was last seen heading north after circling the surfline.
City spokesperson Jennifer Carey confirmed the sighting came from a credible source. In response, marine safety units and lifeguards on wave runners were dispatched to search for the shark. The beach closure spans one mile in each direction from Tower 26 and is expected to last until at least Thursday morning.
Huntington Beach lifeguards, in collaboration with experts from Cal State Long Beach’s Shark Lab, have developed an algorithm to determine when to close beaches due to shark sightings. The beach is closed when a shark is deemed aggressive or measures over six feet in length.
While the exact reason for sharks leaping out of the water remains unknown, one theory suggests they do so to remove copepods, small crab-like creatures, from their bodies. Signs have been posted in the area to inform beachgoers of the closure.
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