A dramatic breach by a great white shark unfolded behind beachgoers at Marina State Beach, footage shows, prompting park officials to confirm the encounter.
The video, filmed by local resident Erin King while posing for photographs, captures the shark launching almost completely clear of the water near the shoreline of Monterey Bay.
California State Parks officials said they independently corroborated King’s recording by matching its timestamp with streaming surf camera footage supplied by Surfline.
Mike Dippel, chief ranger for California State Parks, said the timestamps matched and that it was likely the same animal recorded on both cameras.
Park staff posted shark notices at the beach and left safety advisories in place under the department’s established protocol.
Seasonal Movement Conservation Status And Safety Implications
Officials and reporting note that late summer and autumn mark the seasonal return of great white sharks to inshore waters along the Central Coast.
Great whites spend time in offshore oceanic corridors before migrating back to coastal feeding grounds around Monterey Bay, where seals and fish concentrate.
Scientists and news outlets cited by park officials say the species can breach several feet and in some reports reach heights of up to 10 feet during high speed hunting manoeuvres.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists great whites as vulnerable and reporting in these articles says regional populations fell by more than 90 percent in some areas during the 20th century.
Threats noted across the coverage include recreational and commercial fishing, by catch, illegal poaching and trafficking, habitat degradation and the climate crisis, which can alter shark movements during El Niño and other warm water events.
Park officials reminded beach users that interactions with sharks are rare, and advised following posted warnings, avoiding seal colonies, staying in groups and exercising caution when entering the water.
