Shark Seen Off Oceanside Coast: Lifeguards

The only thing more rare than a shark sighting is lifeguards alerting the local media or the public about a shark sighting off the San Diego County coastline

A shark sighting was reported Monday just off the coast of Oceanside Harbor Beach, Oceanside Lifeguards said.

Someone in a boat passed by a 6-foot shark and reported it to lifeguards who sent out their own boats to search for any signs of it.

They also searched from a helicopter above.

From Santa Barbara down to San Diego and through to Baja Mexico, more than a dozen great white sharks have been spotted recently, some even 50 feet from the shore in Huntington Beach.

Oceanside lifeguards say sightings are rare along our coastline. Even so, they normally don’t alert the local media or the public.

However, lifeguards in Huntington Beach recently put up warning signs for beachgoers due to sightings of more than a dozen young Great White Sharks feeding in the area.

The Oceanside shark sighting didn't stop hundreds of surfers from venturing out into the coastal waters.

Most of the people NBC 7 spoke with didn't seem too phased.

"If there was a shark approaching surfers or having some sort of curiosity of swimmers then that would concern me,” said surfer Dee Toombs. β€œSeeing sharks in the water doesn't concern me. They're out there."

Mike Price, the assistant curator of fishes at SeaWorld San Diego, said those sharks are not looking for people, but rather they're chasing sting rays and small fish.

β€œIt's exactly where they're supposed to be, it's where they want to be, it's where all their food sources are,” Price said.

Lifeguards didn't specify whether the Oceanside shark sightiing was a great white shark. They say there just isn't enough information to know for sure.

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