white shark utube3

Michael Durand was cruising around on his stand up paddle board on a gorgeous summer day when an 8 foot juvenile Great White swam right at him and bumped his board. Luckily he had his GoPro helmet cam on and was able to capture his terrifying moment in high definition!

WHY ARE THERE SHARKS IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA?

Santa Monica Bay is home to dozens of shark and ray species. Many of them are small, like the swell shark and horn shark, and live in kelp forests and rocky reefs. Juvenile great white sharks are seasonal residents of Southern California’s coastal waters, likely congregating in Santa Monica Bay due to a mixture of abundant prey and warm water. Manhattan Beach has been an epicenter for sightings over the past few summers. White sharks are frequently spotted by boaters, pier-goers, surfers and paddlers–especially between the surf spot El Porto and the Manhattan Beach Pier. Juvenile white sharks, measuring up to 10 feet, prey mostly on bottom fishes such as halibut, small rays and other small sharks.