San Clemente Beaches Remain Closed After Fisherman Reels In Shark

Beaches in San Clemente remain closed Monday morning after more than two dozen sharks were spotted off the coast yesterday. A representative from the San Clemente Lifeguard Service told LAist that the beaches briefly reopened at 8 a.m. Monday morning with a "Swim at your own risk" shark advisory in place, however they closed again by 9:45 a.m. after more sharks were spotted.

A fisherman who'd set up a line near the San Clemente Pier reportedly reeled in a great white shark just as the beach was reopening, as seen in this video:

City of San Clemente Marine Safety Chief Bill Humphreys told LAist that some 10 to 12 foot sharks had been sighted near the pier this morning, including the one caught by the fisherman. The beach will remain closed until at least around noon, according to Humphreys.

CBS LA reports that lifeguards first closed the beach around 10:30 a.m. Sunday after an eight or nine foot shark was spotted by the San Clemente Pier. That single shark turned out to be a mere preview of coming attractions at the popular surf spot; by 4 p.m, an Orange County Sheriff's helicopter would catch sight of more than 24 sharks within 25 yards of the beach. Those sharks, which were spotted between Cotton’s Point and Capistrano Beach, ranged in size from six to ten feet, according to the OC Register.

According to KCAL 9's Jasmine Viel, yesterday's shark sighting was the largest in San Clemente so far this spring. Last month, a woman was bitten in the thigh by a shark at a surf spot north of San Onofre State Beach