The City of Huntington Beach caught residents and visitors by surprise when they closed the Sunset Beach shoreline and ocean yesterday, citing reports of aggressive shark activity detected around the area. The Lifeguards spotted a beached juvenile whale with visible shark-inflicted lesions near Tower 22, leading to the decision to close the beachfront for 48 hours, according to the official statement posted on their Facebook page.
Beachgoers, now forced to vacate the shores quickly, find this situation reminiscent of earlier shark incidents at Huntington Beach.
As the City of Huntington Beach reported, lifeguards were alerted to the stranded juvenile whale at approximately 3:45 p.m., shortly before the formal closure statement. The whale was discovered alive, with onlookers recounting sightings of aggressive shark behavior and splashing off the shoreline before the whale became beached.
