Sharks Sighted In Dana Point Friday Morning; Shark Tours Continue

DANA POINT, CA — Four or five great white sharks were sighted Friday in the area of Capistrano and Shore Cliffs beaches in Dana Point and San Clemente, respectively according to Orange County Lifeguards Captain Brad Herzog. Both areas were under a shark advisory Friday amid more shark sightings.

Chris Lowe, who directs the Shark Lab at Cal State Long Beach, helped lifeguards tag the sharks, according to San Clemente Marine Safety Officer Blake Anderson.

All of the sharks are thought to be juveniles based on their size, and since younger sharks aren't as aggressive as adult sharks, an advisory was issued instead of a warning, he said.

"We've been in advisory mode for several weeks now," Herzog said. "There's a good amount of them swimming off shore."

San Clemente beach, which has seen several sharks in its waters of late, was not under an advisory Friday, Anderson said.

The last reported shark sighting in San Clemente was May 29, he said.

Local tour vessels admit that Great white sharks are appearing in never-before-seen numbers near the coast of Southern California. Orange County Sheriff's Department helicopters have reported seeing as many as 15 sharks in one area at a time.

The sharks are giving whale watching tour operators like Captain Dave Anderson, of Captain Dave's Dolphin & Whale Safari, in Dana Point, the opportunity get passengers up close and personal with an apex predator of the sea.

Thanks to customer demand, Captain Dave is offering special Shark Safaris aboard his rigid hull inflatable catamaran, Fast Cat, to view great white sharks and other sea life. The unique vessel is so low to the water that it offers up to 12 passengers the closest opportunity of any Dana Point tour vessel to view the sharks in their natural environment.

"I've never seen so many great white sharks off Orange County," says Captain Dave. "With Fast Cat's low profile, passengers are putting their GoPros in the water... with a long pole of course! I'm putting our newest waterproof drone up to help us locate the sharks, and we can even land it in the water to film them under the surface."

Captain Dave and other crew have certificates from the F.A.A. allowing them to legally fly drones for commercial purposes during both whale watching trips and Shark Safaris.

Fast Cat has passed a series of rigorous U.S. Coast Guard safety inspections to become Dana Point's only Coast Guard inspected and certified rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB).

Captain Dave's Shark Safaris last 90 minutes. Trips depart weekly on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for a limited time.

For twenty years Capt. Dave's Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari has offered year round, eco-friendly, dolphin and whale watching excursions aboard unique, high-tech catamarans with exclusive features including Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.

Read:

Watch Shark Attack Buoy In Dana Point

Great White Sharks Sighted In San Clemente, Beaches Closed

Great White Shark Tours The New Rage In Southern California

Great White Shark Goes Airborne Off Orange County Coast: Watch

Photo: Jason & Jenny Armstrong/DolphinSafari.com