An Aggressive Shark Closes Some Beaches in Southern California

An aggressive shark was reported in San Clemente California which has closed their beaches.Photo byphoto by Kevin Carter/Getty Images

A shark sighting in Orange County has closed a popular Southern California Beach on Memorial Day.

Surfers in the area reported that they witnessed aggressive shark behavior when one was knocked off his board by a shark. They noted a large gray object below them before the surfer felt the hit.

At 9:37 am PST, the City of San Clemente's Twitter page announced the incident with the shark. “All Ocean water at all of the City of San Clemente beaches have been closed. The City has said they will reopen the beaches at 8 pm PST as long as they have no other issues with sharks in the area.

San Clemente has several popular beaches and is south of Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, 2 other incredibly popular spots for beachgoers. While the beaches in Northern California tend to have cold water, Southern California has warm water.

The Latest Studies On Southern California Sharks:

A new study done by California State University Long Beach confirms that sharks enjoy the same type of water that we do. They like shallow, warm water just like Californians in Southern California do. For two years they tagged and studied the sharks. Most of the juvenile sharks loved shallow, warm water between 68-72 degrees.

According to the California Academy of Sciences, Great White Sharks often attack near the shore at only 10-30 feet of water.

Drone footage of Southern California beaches has shown what some knew before, and that is that sharks are all around us when we are at the beach. Many seem to not be the eating machines that some think they are but they seem more curious than menacing.