UPDATE: A salmon shark that was hanging out in the surfline at Emerald Bay in Laguna the past few days washed up dead on shore Wednesday morning.
Ralph S. Collier, president of the Shark Research Committee, said he got the report from an observer, who also saw the shark wash ashore last night before a beachgoer put it back in the water by its tail.
The shark was photographed by Trent Friedmann – who originally thought it was a great white – on Monday. Salmon sharks and great whites are related, and have very similar features.
Collier said these types of strandings are not uncommon for young Salmon sharks.
Previous story:
When Trent Friedmann saw a big fin just 20 feet from shore, he did the what any sane person would do: grabbed his camera gear and jumped in the water with the 4-foot long great white shark.
That was sarcasm, in case you didn’t get it.
Friedmann, who works at Ocean Adventure Camp in Newport Beach regularly teaches kids about the sharks, and knew it was rare sighting that he had to take advantage of when he saw the shark close to shore Monday afternoon.
Here’s a recap of what happened:
“I was on the beach and noticed a fin in the water. I knew that it wasn’t a normal day. I could tell there was something off in the water. All of a sudden someone noticed a fin in the water. Thinking it was some small shark, I approached it to investigate.
As soon as it was in shallow water I noticed that it was much bigger than the sand sharks we normally see in the bay. It ended up being about four-feet long and appeared to be a baby great white shark. I was inching closer towards the tail of the shark. The next thing I know, the shark begins to snap at me…”
Let me interject. At this point, most of us would run for the hills as the music from Jaws enters our brains, and never come close to the ocean again. But Friedmann decided to pull a Chuck Patterson move (who could forget the famous San O sighting), and document the shark. Little is known about the great white’s migration patterns, but we do know they come down here to give birth in warmer So Cal waters. We just don’t like to think about it.
Here’s more:
“I immediately ran to my car and grabbed my camera equipment. Because of my experience working in Ocean Adventure Camp in Newport Beach, I knew that these opportunities are rare. I was not afraid of the shark – I have learned over many years of ocean experience that sharks are not the aggressive monsters they are perceived to be, but at most simply curious. I knew if I respected the animal just like I teach the kids at camp to respect all ocean and wildlife, that I would be in safe hands.”
Check out the photos he snapped below:
See this post in its original form, and read more on OC Beach Blog.
