An update from our respected colleagues at The Shark Research Committee.
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA
On September 1, 2008 Scott Hubbard was body surfing with several unidentified friends near Chair 6, Island Avenue, Balboa Peninsula, in Newport Beach. It was 5:00 PM and he had been in the water about 1 hour.
The sky was clear with a 5 – 10 knot off-shore breeze and an estimated air temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The ocean floor was primarily sand and 7 – 10 feet deep with 2 – 3 feet of visibility and a temperature of 62 – 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The surf was running 3 – 5 feet, waist high, with occasional chest high waves.
Hubbard recalled; “I had just returned into the line-up after riding a wave to the shore. I was approximately 30 – 40 yards off shore swimming at a slow, controlled pace. After cresting over the top of a set wave, I noticed a black dorsal fin, 2 feet high, directly in front of my location 30 yards away. The dorsal fin was very damaged in appearance. I was only able to see the dorsal fin, not the actual body.”
“I surf and swim daily and have seen hundreds of dolphins/dolphin dorsal fins while in the water. This was not the typical dolphin sighting. Without hesitation, I alerted my friends in the area and we quickly headed for the beach. Again, I am not positive about this, but I am confident that this was in fact a shark.”
Caution should be exercised when utilizing this location for your ocean water activities.
Source: The Shark Research Committee
Please report any shark sighting, encounter, or attack to either The Shark Research Committee or The Fear Beneath.