Beachgoers Cautioned After Shark Spotted On Coronado Coast

CORONADO, CA — Signs were posted Wednesday in the North Beach area of Coronado to remind beachgoers to be cautious after a mature white shark was spotted off the short by a lifeguard, the City of Coronado said in a news release.

The shark was spotted by a lifeguard who was on a paddle board about 100 yards offshore. Just past the surf, the lifeguard noticed a white shark that was larger than his 11-foot paddle board, the release stated.

Signs were posted from the main Tower at Central Beach North to Tower 6C, south of the pedestrian beach entrance. The city said signs will remain posted for 24 hours, another shark sighting notwithstanding.

The beach was not closed after the sighting, but morning lifeguard tryouts were suspended Wednesday morning. City Manager Blair King said sharks are important to the local ecology, and he has concerns that closing the beach would cause an overreaction.

“Under the agreed upon protocol, the City is not required to close the beach or publicly report the sightings,” King said in a statement. “However, in this instance, the City feels it’s important for the community to know about this sighting and that lifeguards are carefully monitoring the waters.”