A massive great white shark exhibiting “aggressive behavior” has triggered a beach shutdown in Huntington Beach, with officials ordering swimmers out of the water until Wednesday afternoon.
The 10- to 12-foot predator was spotted near Lifeguard Tower 16 shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday, prompting the Huntington Beach Fire Department to close the beach from Seapoint Street to the Huntington Beach Pier until 3 p.m. Wednesday.
“Please obey posted signs and lifeguard instructions,” officials warned in a post to X.
It was not immediately clear whether the shark had been spotted in the area before.
The sighting comes as unusually warm ocean temperatures linked to a powerful El Niño pattern have coincided with a string of unusual marine-life encounters off Southern California.
Last month, two sea turtles were spotted nesting on Orange County beaches for the first time on record — one near Seal Beach and another near the Huntington Beach Pier.
Other recent sightings include a rare hammerhead shark off Malibu, a whale shark and venomous sea snakes spotted along the Southern California coast.
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