San Diego

Photographer Captures Video of Hammerhead Shark Near Mission Bay

A UC San Diego oceanographer said it is possible to see hammerhead sharks in Southern California waters during the summer months

Locals are not the only ones trying to enjoy San Diego’s beaches during the recent heat wave. A hammerhead shark was spotted in the waters near Mission Bay Tuesday, according to video shared with NBC 7.

Domenic Bigini runs a photography business aboard a San Diego whale watching tour boat and said while out Tuesday afternoon, the group caught a glimpse of a hammerhead shark about six miles west of Mission Bay.

Bigini used a drone to capture video of the shark from above, he said.

A UC San Diego oceanographer said it is possible to see hammerhead sharks in Southern California waters during the summer months.

"Hammerheads are not year-round residents. They are sometimes found here in warmer months and especially during El Nino years," UC San Diego oceanography graduate student Zachary Skelton said. "It is not abnormal to see a hammerhead swimming near the surface."

Skelton said even the shark’s proximity to the coastline would not be unusual as hammerheads migrate in a water column there.

The hammerhead is likely a smooth hammerhead, the variety most commonly spotted off the coast of Southern California, Skelton said.

Contact Us