Ankle-deep water. That’s how close a shark came to shore at arguably Los Angeles’ busiest surf spots. And, apparently, it wasn’t bothered by the surfers nearby.
Wild footage captured by Josh Hublitz at El Porto, Manhattan Beach, shows a dark dorsal fin slicing through the shallow water, just yards from surfers in the lineup. The clip, posted Friday, October 16, quickly made the rounds online.
Check out the footage below, as featured by local news:
“He’s pretty big,” Hublitz remarked while filming. “I’ve actually never seen a shark at El Porto before.”
In his Instagram post, he offered another unsettling observation: “Ankle deep water. That is super sketch.”
He’s not exaggerating. In the video, the animal cruises close enough to the beach that the fin is visible above the surface, while surfers sit and paddle nearby. Nobody appears to be injured, and the shark’s species and length haven’t been confirmed.
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The encounter also caught the attention of ABC7 Los Angeles, which reported that the fin was “clearly visible” and noted that several shark species, including juvenile great whites, inhabit local waters.
See Hublitz’s original video below:
As it happens, California is in the middle of “Sharktober,” the annual stretch from September through November when white shark sightings and encounters tend to peak, particularly along the Central and Northern California coast.
According to conservation group Shark Stewards, this is when mature great whites return from migrations to the offshore “White Shark Cafe,” often feeding near coastal seal and sea lion colonies.
The organization explains that fall is when “peak white shark encounters occur along the Coast of California.” But its message is also about conservation: “We decided to celebrate, not hate, sharks.”
The El Porto animal hasn’t been identified as a great white, and seasonal migration patterns don’t establish why it was in shallow water.
Just days earlier, another dramatic shark sighting made headlines after an animal breached behind a woman near Monterey Bay.
For South Bay surfers, it’s another reminder that even in the most crowded lineups, they aren’t always alone. Hublitz reminded: “Careful out there my LA surfer friends!”
Related: Great White Shark Photobombs Woman in Peak ‘Sharktober’ Off California (Video)
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