Aggressive Hammerhead Shark Circles Kayakers Prompting Closure Of SoCal Beach
LA JOLLA (CBS) -- An large, aggressive shark forced the closure of a Southern California beach Saturday.
The hammerhead shark was spotted at La Jolla Shores around 1 p.m.
The sighting was caught on camera by a kayaker and prompted lifeguards to evacuate the water and close the beach to thousands of swimmers for 24 hours.
Kayakers saw the 8-10 foot shark as it circled them near the surf line.
Witnesses told lifeguards that the shark followed the kayakers all the way back to the beach.
"Hammerhead sharks are known to be dangerous to humans, especially the larger ones," said San Diego Police Lt. Andy Lerum. "In certain places in the world, they are very dangerous."
This is the second close encounter with a hammerhead shark in recent days in the area. Two weeks ago, a hammerhead bit the hand of a diver about 100 miles off the San Diego coast.