7-foot shark spotted near pier at popular California beach
PISMO BEACH, Calif. (KMPH) — Pismo Beach police in California spotted a 7-foot shark just off the pier when performing a land and sea patrol on Wednesday.
Officers would like to use this as a reminder for everyone to stay safe and aware of their surroundings when out enjoying the open water.
In a Facebook post, the Pismo Beach Police Department stated:
Patrolling land and sea, our Officers located this 7 footer just off the pier this evening. A good reminder to swimmers and surfers to be safe and aware out there in the open waters. #PismoPolice."
The news comes months after a man was killed by a great white shark in the water near Morro Rock in Morro Bay.
The deadly attack happened on Christmas Eve along Morro Strand Beach's popular location called "The Pit".
Shark bites were down in 2020 due to the pandemic but researchers say they are up now.
International Shark Attack File manager Tyler Bowling pointed out that 52 bites in 2020 were the lowest documented in more than a decade.
The 73 bites in 2021 more closely align with the five-year global average of 72.
Pismo Beach is a popular tourist destination on California's Central Coast and sits about three hours northwest of Los Angeles and about four hours south of San Francisco.
