Overview
- A juvenile great white launched out of the water only yards behind a boogie boarder off Lifeguard Tower 40 in Newport Beach, in footage recorded by Soaren Stevenson on Saturday, July 25.
- Those on the beach did not notice the shark at the time and only saw the close encounter later when they reviewed Stevenson’s video.
- Marine biologists quoted in coverage say breaching is common behavior for young great whites and is not usually an attack on people.
- State data cited by reporters note that shark incidents in California remain rare, with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife recording fewer than 250 incidents across all species since 1950.
- The viral clip follows other recent citizen-captured sightings along the Southern California coast and has renewed public discussion about whether current lifeguard, drone and warning practices are sufficient.