Shark Sightings Shut Down San Clemente Beach

Two shark sightings -- one last night and another this morning -- prompted the closure of San Clemente Beach until about noon tomorrow.

The latest sighting came from a surfer who reported spotting a shark about 11:30 this morning near Tower 5 at T Street, said Marine Safety Officer Ian Burton.

The first shark sighting was about 7 p.m. Thursday. Burton noted that “pretty much no one was in the water” then, so lifeguards kept an eye out but did not close the beach.

Today’s sighting prompted lifeguards to start closing the one-mile part of the beach under the city’s jurisdiction, Burton said.

A supervising lifeguard on a jet ski advised everyone to get out of the water, Burton said. When everyone was safely ashore, the lifeguard went looking for the 6- to 7-foot shark, found it and trailed it for about 90 minutes, and state lifeguards decided to shut down the whole beach, Burton said.

Plans call for it to reopen about noon Saturday, he said.

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