iStockphoto / Laura Fay
Surfers at San Onofre State Beach just south of San Clemente were within feet of a curious great white shark and they were unaware of its presence.
Videographer/photographer Kevin Christopherson uploaded the drone footage to his YouTube channel and it immediately went viral with people in awe of how serene the scene is. The juvenile great white shark can be seen swimming lazily just off the surfer’s lineup.
The video was uploaded on Monday. In the description, Kevin Christopherson writes that he observed between 4 and 5 Great White Sharks in the area. Presumably, he couldn’t be sure if the 5th was being counted twice or not.
It is very common for juvenile white sharks to be spotted near surf this time of year in Southern California. And this footage shows that nobody was in danger at any point from the various sharks in the area, even if they weren’t aware of their presences.
San Onofre State Beach is just a few miles south of the world famous Trestles Beach, one of the top surfing destinations in California. The waves weren’t firing too hard on this day. But that might have also contributed to the sharks’ presence as it made for easier swimming.
I was fortunate enough to surf that stretch of coast a few years back on a work trip with Big Wave surfer Greg Long. He is born and raised in the area and as a Floridian who grew up only surfing hurricane swells it was a cool experience. We didn’t see any sharks though!
On the other coast, Great Whites have been quite active in Cape Cod since the Summer began.