Great White Shark Spotted Swimming With Surfers in San Diego

Posted on September 2, 2011

A disturbing new photo shows a giant shark swimming with surfers off the San Diego shore. Experts told CBS News that they believe the shark was a 10 to 12 foot great white shark. This time of year, great whites come to the San Diego waters to feed on seals and sea lions. Surfers who wear wet suits look quite a bit like sea lions and seals, and have been attacked in Northern California while surfing.

The photo was sent in to CBS local channel 8 by a viewer: you can see the close-up shots here. Some people are skeptical that the photo is real. There have been multiple shark sightings nearby, however.

Lifeguards have closed beaches three times in the past two weeks, because of the reports. According to the L.A. Times, researchers believe that the great white shark population may be increasing in California. Marine biology professor Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach, said that this year the water temperatures didn't warm until late in the summer, which could account for the increase in sightings. Photographers with telephoto lenses and onlookers with binoculars are flocking to the area, hoping to catch sight of a great white this Labor Day weekend.

CBS' Terrell Brown reports:


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