DEL MAR, Calif. (KGTV) — A North County photographer captured five great white sharks swimming about 50 yards off the coast of Del Mar on Thursday.
Jedd Wasson, of Del Mar, said he was on the lookout for the sharks as he flew his drone in the area. To his surprise, he not only spotted one, but in total, five juvenile great white sharks calmly gliding through the waters just offshore.
"So I was actually purposely finding them because I'd been hearing reports of them in Del Mar around 11th Street," Wasson told ABC 10News reporter Steve Smith. "I was surprised at how many there were. I was expecting just a couple but sometimes I would just follow it on the screen and then another one would appear in the frame. I'm like, 'Oh wow, there is quite a lot of sharks here.'"
The sharks appeared to be about 8-feet long, Wasson said.
"I've seen one myself while I was paddleboarding so I can approximate the size, but usually the juveniles tend to come in closer to shore which is what I saw from the drone," Wasson said.
Expert Ralph Collier, of the Shark Research Institute, confirmed the sharks appeared to be juvenile great white sharks. Collier added that, before swimmers get too worried, the clarity in the water should help the sharks better distinguish between person or prey. But swimmers should still be cautious.
"The one I saw was just cruising along the reef then it darted away, so I'm not concerned it's out to get me. I mean, it's their home, we're just in it so I wouldn't worry too much about them but you can always be cautious," Wasson said.
While Wasson says he contacted Del Mar Lifeguards about the sightings, lifeguards said there were no posted warnings Friday.
