A California shark cluster has been reported by the U.S. Coast Guard, with about 20 great white sharks in the cluster. Spotted on Saturday off the coast of Pacifica and Ocean Beach, the sharks were swimming about 100 yards off shore and ranged in lengths between 10-feet and 18-feet, according to The Guardian.
Mary Jane Schramm, a representative of the National Marine Sanctuary at the Gulf of Farallones, said two different U.S. Coast Guard helicopters spotted the cluster when they were flying over the Pacific Ocean.
"This is the first I'd heard of near-shore aggregating in such an urban area," Schramm said, according to the Inquisitr, stating she has never seen a cluster of this size.
"An unusual number of juvenile white sharks under 10-feet long have been observed this year, likely associated with the unseasonably high water temperatures along the coast," said David McGuire, the director of Shark Stewards, a nonprofit shark conservation group affiliated with the Earth Island Institute, said NYSE Post. "But an 18-foot shark is a very large, mature shark and can cause considerable harm to seals or humans."
"I won't stop enjoying the ocean, but I might swim and surf somewhere else for a few days," McGuire said. He added that beach goers need to be aware of their surroundings and keep an eye out on the signs posted, warning if sharks are at the beach when visiting.
White sharks observed off Bay Area cause for prudence not alarm. https://t.co/Ai23jFkaBv, @surfline #SharkWatch pic.twitter.com/GKqT3rRa1s
— David McGuire (@SHARKSTEWARDS) October 25, 2015
