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A scenic stretch of California coastline has become a hot spot for great white sharks, prompting an urgent warning for beachgoers to stay out of the water.
Authorities told swimmers and surfers to steer clear of the water at Lovers Point Beach in Pacific Grove after reports of shark activity near the Monterey Bay destination.
The Pacific Grove Police Department told the California Post that the recommendation was issued out of an abundance of caution following reports that a seal had been bitten in the area, leaving blood in the water.
While the beach remains open to visitors, officials are discouraging water activities as concerns grow over the presence of massive predators lurking offshore.
Just days earlier, a staggering five great white sharks were spotted prowling the waters roughly 200 yards off the beach near Sanctuary Beach Resort in nearby Marina.
Drone footage captured Tuesday morning by whale-watching tour company Sanctuary Cruises revealed four juvenile sharks swimming alongside an enormous adult female estimated to be more than 14 feet long.
The company explained that its crew decided to investigate after hearing reports of increased shark activity in the area.
“With all this hype on the local media of Great White Sharks hanging around our local beach’s lately, we thought we put up our eye in the sky and take a look ourselves,” the company wrote.
“With in minutes of looking around we spotted multiple great white sharks just a few hundred yards from the beach, including this massive female we estimate to be 14-16 feet!!”
The latest sightings come on the heels of another heart-stopping encounter at nearby Marina State Beach, where a monster great white suddenly launched itself out of the ocean as unsuspecting beachgoers filmed the coastline.
The spectacle unfolded as a group of friends posed for photos and videos along the shore.
California State Parks subsequently issued a shark advisory for Marina State Beach.
Officials have warned that fall is a particularly active time for great white sharks along the Central Coast, when the predators commonly return to the region’s waters.
Despite the alarming encounters, the sightings do not necessarily indicate that sharks are behaving unusually or targeting beachgoers.