Lifeguards issued a warning for swimmers, surfers and divers today near La Jolla Cove after two divers reported seeing a small great white shark.
The divers said they spotted the 5-foot shark around 1:30 p.m., about 500 yards off the coast, according to lifeguard Lt. John Everhart.
The shark was estimated to be about 30 feet under water. Due to the depth and its distance from land, the shark’s presence is not considered an imminent public threat.
According to San Diego Lifeguards, small sharks are not typically a threat to humans or large prey. Their diet tends to consist mainly of small fish.
Still, as a precaution, lifeguards warned beachgoers about the sighting.
Several great white sightings have occurred in recent years in California, attracting national attention.
In October, 19-year-old UC Santa Barbara student, Lucas Ransom, was killed by a great white while body boarding at Surf Beach, located on Vandenberg Air Force Base.
The last fatal shark attack in San Diego County was in 2008 when triathlete David Martin, 66, was killed in Solana beach.
