Sunset Beach Closes After Aggressive Shark Activity and Beaching of Mammal with Bite Marks

Sunset Beach in Huntington Beach, California to remain closed until Tuesday afternoon following sightings of aggressive shark behavior and the discovery of injured juvenile whale presumed bitten by a shark.

Sunset Beach in Huntington Beach, California was closed at 3:45 p.m. on Sunday after reported sightings of aggressive shark behavior and the discovery of an injured juvenile whale on the beach with visible bite marks.
The city's policy states that if aggressive shark activity is observed, the shoreline and ocean will be closed for one mile in each direction of the incident. The beach closure is set to last until Tuesday afternoon.
The injured juvenile whale was rescued by The Pacific Marine Mammal Center. However, due to the severity of its injuries, the decision was made to euthanize it.
Possible speculations point to the whale being a northern right whale dolphin, a species known to be preyed upon by great white sharks and orcas. It is yet to be confirmed which species attacked the whale.
Due to climate change and rising ocean temperatures, the range of juvenile white sharks has expanded, leading them to move further north along the California coastline. This shift may contribute to an increase in attacks on prey animals and potentially heighten risks to human swimmers.