A great white shark put on a spectacular display for California beachgoers over the weekend, leaping from the water off Marina State Beach and photobombing visitors.
Shark Sightings
Videos circulating online show the shark launching several feet out of the water in the background as a group of friends pose for photos along the beach. In a statement to the Guardian, California state park officials confirmed:
“"California State Parks independently confirmed a shark matching the characteristics of a great white [breached] off the shore near Marina State Beach at the same time as the video."
Officials added that posted shark notices are in effect at the beach in accordance with the department’s protocol. They reminded visitors that sharks are an important part of the coastal ecosystem and that interactions between people and sharks are rare.
Great White Shark Behavior
Great white sharks frequent Monterey Bay seasonally, traveling to offshore waters near Hawaii before returning to California’s coast in late summer and early fall. The Central Coast provides important habitat for these predators, which feed on fish and marine mammals, including seals.
