Southern California

Eighteen-Foot Great White Spotted Near Catalina

Two boaters got quite a surprise Saturday when they saw what appeared to be an 18-foot-long great white shark attacking a seal carcass in the water nearby.

The boat was being helmed by Captain Dave Mallard, and his first mate, known as “Cactus,” around 11 a.m. when they spotted the shark on their way from Redondo Beach to Catalina Island.

The pair were about a quarter-mile off of Emerald Bay and two miles west of Two Harbors when they spotted the seal carcass, “Cactus” said. They circled back to check it out when they saw the shark, apparently feeding on it.

Despite the shark’s large size, warnings and closures were not set in place because of the location, according to Spencer Parker, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The feeding was not too close to any shore and was in deeper water.

Sightings of great whites have prompted several beach closures this season, and a kayaker was attacked by one of the Orange County coast last month.

Most of those sharks have been reported as smaller in size.

Contact Us