KTLA

Shark Spotted Off Manhattan Beach; Lifeguards Determine There’s No Risk to Public

A shark sighting was confirmed in the water off Manhattan Beach pier on Thursday, about a month after a man swimming in the same area was left injured when a shark bit him.

A swimmer could be seen not far from a possible shark off Manhattan Beach on Aug. 14, 2014. (Credit: KTLA)

Sharks were reported in the 1100 block of The Strand between 11th Street and the pier (map), according to Inspector Rick Flores of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

County lifeguards were told of a shark swimming near the pier about 10:30 a.m., according to a tweet from the Lifeguard Division.

A lifeguard on a personal watercraft investigated, as did a Baywatch Redondo rescue boat, confirming the sighting to be a juvenile white shark that was 7 feet long, another Lifeguard Division tweet stated.

The shark was monitored for 45 minutes and determined not to be aggressive or a threat, so no advisories to the public were made, according to the division.

Such sightings are common, the division said.

Four to five creatures that resembled sharks could be seen in the water several blocks south of the pier, aerial video from Sky5 showed.

Just before noon, a swimmer could be seen within feet of one of the apparent sharks, but the two never made contact, according to video from Sky5.

The city implemented a fishing ban on the pier July 7, in response to swimmer Steve Robles being bitten by a shark near the pier two days earlier.

The City Council on Tuesday voted to implement new fishing regulations; the temporary ban was set to remain in place for two additional weeks, the Daily Breeze reported.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to clarify which county lifeguard vessels responded to the shark sighting.

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