San Diego

San Clemente Beach Closed Due to Shark Sighting for Second Weekend in a Row

A section of Southern California coast has been closed again after at least four sharks were spotted close to shore.

Officials in San Clemente say the water is off limits Sunday from one mile north to one mile south of the city beach's pier.

Closures were ordered in the same area a week ago after two dozen great whites were seen, including one about 10 feet long.

Juvenile great whites, typically under 8 feet, are common along Southern California, where they feed on small fish. As they get larger, white sharks start feeding on bigger marine mammals, a factor lifeguards use to consider closures.

Fishermen on the pier reported seeing several great white sharks last week. One shark, described as approximately 10 to 12 feet was reeled in. They told NBC 7 it was released because it was determined to be a great white. The species is protected.

Another shark spotted by the fishermen was 16 to 20 feet long.

An NBC 7 news crew witnessed a fisherman hooking what appeared to be a six-foot Soupfin Shark from the pier after noon.

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Last month a woman was injured by a 10-foot white shark at San Onofre State Beach, south of San Clemente.

Leeanne Ericson survived the attack on April 29 but suffered major injuries to her right leg. She was improving but still hospitalized at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla over the Memorial Day weekend according to family updates.

NBC 7's Artie Ojeda spoke with surfers who frequent San Onofre State Beach who say recent shark warnings and sightings don't concern them one bit.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
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