Thirteen great white sharks were spotted by a police helicopter off Huntington Beach on Tuesday evening, feeding about 50 feet from the shore.
Huntington Beach Police told the the
Los Angeles Times that its helicopter spotted the sharks, ranging from six to 10-feet long, but added that there were no swimmers or surfers in the area.
Huntington Beach officials went to social media in an attempt to alert others about the shark sightings.
The Huntington Beach flight crew spotted the young sharks about 6 p.m. Tuesday. Officers alerted Huntington Beach lifeguards about the sharks, but no swim advisories or warning have been posted at Sunset Beach.
The Times noted that on May 11, at least six sharks – ranging from feet to six feet – were seen close to Seal Beach and Huntington Beach.
It was the second month in which officials spotted shark gatherings in a popular beach area in southern California.
KTLA-TV reported in April that officials closed the waters off San Clemente after shark sightings there. Marine safety officer Ian Burton spotted a shark off the city's municipal pier after someone fishing alerted authorities to another shark.
Lifeguards cleared swimmers from the water and shut down the beach one mile north and south of the lifeguard tower.
Witnesses said those sharks were about six to seven feet long, according the television station.
Sgt. John Hollenbeck of the Orange County Sheriff's Harbor Patrol told the
Orange County Register earlier that beachgoers should not worry much about the increase in shark sightings this year, saying that female sharks usually come to shallow waters to birth and then leave their young ones behind.
"As they get older, they move to deeper waters," said Hollenbeck. "We don't want people to panic and think great whites are suddenly out here. It' a common occurrence. It's nothing to be alarmed about; it's been happening since before the human race was here, and will probably happen afterward."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.